Ma Vhenan, Ma Abelas
by TheTwilightMoon
Summary: Six months after Corypheus is defeated, Thedas has settled into a relative state of peace, despite the continuing Mage-Templar War. Neriah Lavellan is trying to rebuild the Inquisiton, but things take a dramatic turn when a certain elven apostate suddenly reappears, and she must decide whether to forgive, or forget. SolasxLavellan. R&R, please! Complete. Prequel/Sequel is up!
1. Atisha e Abelas

**A/N: As always, I apologize for never posting anymore, really. I have been on a Dragon Age kick lately (playing through DA: I for the third time). I can't promise I'll finish this, but I really wanted to write it down! I was very sad (as I am sure we all were) with the outcome of SolasxLavellan romance, and the end of the game. DAMN YOU, YOU EGG-HEADED BASTARD. So, this is my attempt at coming up with a fluffy, smutty, angst-ridden, adventurous version of what will happen after the events of Inquisition. Set about six months after the game ends, and onwards. Enjoy!**

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_Chapter One:_

_Atisha e Abelas_

Skyhold was so beautiful in the springtime. Despite the sometimes harsh, cold winds that blew over the stone walls and into the courtyards, the flowers in the gardens and on the sills still bloomed, and the smells wafted into the air, making Neriah Lavellan think of her time living with her clan in Northern Ferelden. It had been over a year since the Dalish Elf has come into the position of the leader of the Inquisition. The Inquisitor, the Herald of Andraste, and sometimes even knife-ear (though those who called her that were usually taken care of rather quickly by her companions, despite her meek protests); Neriah had many names, and for many she was still getting used to them.

After the defeat of Corypheus, the world of Thedas had settled into relative peace. After they had aided the Inquisition during the final onslaught against the monster, the Grey Wardens had left the Inquisition, in order to continue to attempt to rebuild their ranks. They had had a great deal to atone for, and Neriah had let them leave with her blessing, thanking them for all their help in defeating Corypheus, despite disapproval from certain members of her party. Now only the Creators knew where they had gone, and Neriah preferred it like that. Despite their aid, she was still mildly wary of the Grey Wardens. Though their cause was a righteous one, the amount of damage they had nearly caused Thedas was unforgettable. After they had departed, Neriah had instructed Leliana to make sure her agents were vigilant of the Grey Wardens, in the event that they either required aid or, in the worst case scenario, something went wrong again.

It had been nearly six months since the defeat of Corypheus, and the rebuilding of the ruined parts of Thedas from the Rifts and the Breach opening. Demons still lingered here and there, and the Mage-Templar war continued the rage on, despite the reparation of Thedas since that nightmare had ended. Neriah had done all she could to clean up the remaining demons, and did her best to help those in need, and danger, of the constant struggle between the mages and Templars. Being a mage herself, Neriah knew she was a topic of controversy among nobles and commoners alike, and most especially because she was an elf. She tried not to let it bother her, but there were times where she felt the weight of the prejudice and scrutiny upon her.

In this time of peace, one would assume Neriah would be glad; that she would take this time to relax her mind and ease herself into a state of potential happiness, despite the evident conflicts that still existed around her. Her companions had taken these months of relative peace to make Skyhold a more permanent home for themselves. Keep in mind that this peace being that the world was not going to come to a grim end – the Mage-Templar war was an obvious threat, but at least the world was not going to explode any time soon; they hoped so anyway.

Blackwall had remained with the Inquisition per Neriah's request. Despite the fact that the man had used another's identity, and impersonated a Grey Warden, had atoned, in Neriah's eyes, by aiding the Inquisition to fight the good fight against the demons and Corypheus. That, and Blackwall was not a bad man; Neriah believed him to be a good soul, in spite of all that had happened. He and Neriah got along well, and she felt that she had a true friend in the warrior. Not to mention he got along well with her other companions, particularly Varric.

Varric came and went as he pleased between Neriah's companionship and that of the Champion of Kirkwall, Alleria Hawke. Varric would always be loyal to Neriah, but she knew that Hawke was one of Varric's dearest friends, and if the opportunity came up to leave with her, he would. He came back from time to time to visit with Neriah, and help out with certain missions, as well as harass Cassandra by dangling a new volume of his new romance series in front of her nose.

Cassandra had remained with the Inquisition, aiding Leliana, Josephine, and Cullen in leading it along with Neriah. Neriah valued the Seeker's input in all her decisions, and was glad to have her grumpy, prominent cheekboned-self with her, though she would never tell Cassandra that directly, lest the Seeker turn a lovely shade of red, and stomp away angrily. Neriah had to admit, teasing her friend was a very pleasant pastime.

Sera, the master-teaser and prankster of the group, had also remained. Neriah was pretty sure she wouldn't leave even if she wanted her to. Sera was loud, brash, and hilarious, and Neriah adored her. Not only was the elf a great archer, but she also had excellent connections with Red Jenny, and both she and Neriah knew that the Inquisition would benefit greatly from their agreement. That, and Sera liked Neriah and her companions, though she'd never admit it.

Iron Bull and his Chargers had stayed in Skyhold, as well. Bull had decided long before that Neriah and her cause could use the assistance from him and his friends, and had basically not taken no for an answer, to which Neriah was glad. The huge Qunari had become a good friend of hers, and she greatly enjoyed his company and quips every time they went out on a new adventure into Thedas.

Another person who had stayed was Dorian, but that was not simply because of Neriah and her Inquisition. He and Iron Bull had become rather friendly towards the end of the battle with Corypheus, and the mage had elected to stay in Skyhold, rather than return to Tevinter after the battle was over. Neriah was very glad her friend had decided to remain in Skyhold, not only because she adored his relationship with Iron Bull (as she was sure he did as well), but also because the two had become quite close during their adventures. Dorian's flamboyant and sometimes overbearing personality was his greatest asset, along with his fabulous mustache. Neriah adored him.

Vivienne had left to become the newest Divine, Victoria, after Neriah had recommended the former Enchantress. A mother-like figure to all in her company, Neriah received a letter at least once a month from the new Divine, chronicling her events, and always adding suggestions to improve Skyhold's layout, or sending new dress patterns for Neriah to have made for her. Neriah missed Vivienne greatly, but felt that she had made the right decision in suggesting the mage as the new Divine.

Cole was still lurking about Skyhold as well. The now more humanized Spirit Boy still popped up out of nowhere some days, nearly giving Neriah a heart attack every time. The skinny little rogue seemed very content staying in Skyhold with Neriah, and she having him there. Everyone in their company was very protective of the Spirit Boy, despite the fact that he most likely knew more than any of them combined, given his powers as a Spirit, and his attune sense of individuals' emotions. None, perhaps, except one.

Solas.

Even thinking about the elf caused Neriah's heart to hurt. She absently touched her face, where her _vallaslin_ had once been. One of the last times she and Solas had been alone together, he had offered to remove the elvish markings from her face, telling her that they, apparently, had been a mark of slavery in the Dalish culture. It had broken her heart to know that this was another thing that the Dalish had gotten wrong, and had agreed to allow him to remove it. After that, Solas had broken her heart, in more ways than one.

It had been nearly six months since Solas's disappearance, and Leliana's agents had found no trace of him. Neriah wasn't sure what hurt more, the fact that Solas had broken off their relationship so abruptly with no explanation, or the fact that he had left without so much as a goodbye. All of their friends had seen it after he'd left; they had seen how broken up Neriah had been, and still was, over him. For the first month, she had been relentless, sending agents after agent to scour Ferelden and Orlais, trying in vain to find him, and they had all returned unsuccessful. Leliana had gently told her, if Solas did not want to be found, it was unlikely they would find him. Neriah didn't know if this made her more angry or sad, so she elected to attempt to feel nothing at all.

Even now, six months later, with the world being still and calm (relatively) she could still find no peace of mind when it came to the elven mage. Though she and Solas had never laid together, she had still felt such a strong connection to him, and it had seemed he felt the same way towards her, before leaving her. She felt she knew Solas, and hoped somewhere in the back of her mind that he had had a reason to leave as he did, though it was hard to imagine, and it only caused her pain.

The day her friends realized Solas had vanished, a few had gone ballistic. Iron Bull was furious that he had simply left, and Sera threw a fit of rage. Both had had to be calmed down by Varric and Dorian, though even they seemed put off by Solas's disappearance. Blackwall had tried to explain that sometimes people had to do things without explanation, which had caused Sera to make a snarky remark about his previous lies, which caused Blackwall to try and take a swing at her, which caused Iron Bull to threaten Blackwall's life, which made Dorian try to restrain him, which made Cassandra threaten to throw them all in the stocks until they calmed down. Once they had all seen the look on Neriah's face, they had settled down, and none of them had spoken about it since. Once or twice, Cole would visit with Neriah, and she would tell him of how she was feeling. Despite his serious lack of social skills, the Spirit Boy was an amazing listener. He had helped Neriah learn to not blame herself for Solas's leaving, and help her to understand that the elf had probably had his reasons. Oddly enough, it had seemed as though Cole had known something about Solas, but for the first time since meeting him, Neriah had found the boy had actually forgotten something. She had worked with Cole and now, many months later, she felt a little better, though it still hurt some days. Alright, most days.

Neriah had kept herself busy with missions, and attempting to rebuild more of the Inquisition, as well as do her best in dealing with the Mage-Templar war, though at this time it felt like a lost cause. Each side was so corrupt, and filled with so much hatred that it was near impossible to get a word in edge-wise. For now, Neriah would do what she could from a distance, and involve herself when necessary.

Neriah stretched her thin limbs, and rubbed her silver eyes. The sun was still high in the sky, but she felt exhausted. The wind ruffled her short, silver hair slightly as it blew by. She turned away from her balcony that overlooked the Frostback Mountains, and re-entered her room. She wandered in circles for a few minutes, mulling over in her mind what to do today. She had no immediate missions or issues that needed attending, and wondered vaguely how she was going to pass the time.

She was just about to lay down and try to get a nap in before she descended for supper, when there was a loud knock on her door. Curious, she slowly descended the stairs, and opened the large, wooden door to her room, only to find the familiar face of Varric standing there. This was a time during the months that the dwarf was visiting Skyhold.

"Varric," Neriah greeted her friend warmly. "What can I do for you?" She noted the strained look on his face. "Is something wrong?"

The dwarf sighed, looking up at her. "Not sure, Quizzy; but you might want to come with me. There's something you should see." He didn't even wait for her to reply, he merely turned around and walked down the steps that led to the door which would take them to Skyhold's Main Hall.

Neriah cocked her head to one side. "Varric," she called, hurrying down the steps after the dwarf, "What's going on, is everything alright?" When the rogue didn't answer again, she felt a prickle of annoyance. Varric was not normally this cryptic about anything, and she wanted to know what the hell was going on.

They entered the Main Hall, the door swinging open loudly, causing an echo to ring across the room. Neriah looked around; the usual nobles who mingled in the hall were nowhere to be seen, and Neriah felt a sense of nervousness begin to form inside her. She looked to the end of the hall near the door, and saw her other companions gathered there. One look at their faces and the knot in her stomach tightened. Dorian looked grave, Cole looked a little scared, Blackwall's face was darkened, and Sera and Iron Bull looked livid. They turned towards her when she and Varric approached.

"I found her," Varric said as they walked up. "Remember, be gentle. She isn't going to take this well." This caused Neriah to stare down at him, then back up at her other friends.

"Would someone tell me what the _hell_ is going on?" She demanded, not even bothering to hide her annoyance now. The looks her friends were giving her and each other was becoming very unsettling. "Has something happened? Is anyone hurt?"

"See for yourself, yeah?" Sera said, her normally giddy voice filled with contempt, gesturing behind Neriah. The sound of the door to the War Room opened, and Neriah turned to look behind her. Cassandra was approaching, and she was not alone.

Neriah felt her blood turn to ice.

It had been six months; six months since his grey-navy eyes had caught hers. Six months since she had seen his familiar, graceful walk; and six months since she had heard his voice.

"Inquisitor."

As her lips formed his name, it felt as though she was speaking a foreign language.

"Solas."

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so this first chapter is done! I haven't written this much in quite a while. I hope I am not too rusty. I don't really know where this is going – I mean, I know where the SolasxLavellan story is going, but I am still trying to work out a plot that makes sense for what I want to do with this. We all want smut, but it has to be smut with a plot, dammit! I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter!**

_**Elven Meanings:**_

**The chapter name means "Peace and Sorrow" – I didn't know the elven word for "and", so I had to make one up. I hope it sounds okay! The title of the fic means "My Heart, My Sorrow" – again, I felt it was very relevant to all the angst that went along with this goddamn romance between these two. –tear- Enjoy!**


	2. Harel e Falon

**A/N: The title of this chapter means "Trickster and Friend" in elven. I think I may stick with the idea of using Elven as the titles of all the chapters; at least for the moment. It seems rather fitting, don't you think? Also! I think I came up with a decent plotline for this mother – so we will hopefully have fluff, smut, and something concrete to tie it all together! Enjoy!**

**NOTE: This chapter may contain spoilers from certain companions Personal Quests – you have been warned!**

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_Chapter Two:_

_Harel e Falon _

She couldn't move; she couldn't even breathe. She could only stare blankly at the elf standing before her, her limbs refusing to move, and her mind and heart racing. Cassandra seemed to sense the awkwardness of the situation, because she gestured to Solas.

"Inquisitor," she said stiffly, "you remember Solas. He returned not an hour ago, shortly before you were summoned by _Varric_." She put emphasis on the dwarf's name, throwing him a disproving glare. Perhaps she had wanted to ease Neriah into the situation, rather than have her see Solas so abruptly. Beside her, Neriah felt Varric shift from one foot the other, refusing to meet anyone's gaze. But for once, the dwarf was remarkably silent.

Her eyes never left Solas's face when the elf spoke suddenly. Hearing his voice again sent shivers across her skin, and anger shooting through her core.

"Inquisitor, please forgive me for my absence. With your permission, I would return to my former quarters, and deposit my belongings." His face never changed, and his voice was calm and monotone, showing no signs of any of their past, or emotion for that matter.

Neriah couldn't answer; it felt as though her tongue had grown three times its normal size, and the lump growing in her throat was beginning to cause her physical pain. She attempted to swallow, but that hurt even more. Her eyes were beginning to burn. Her inability to talk was causing an uncomfortable silence amongst her companions in the empty hall.

Solas spoke again, more firmly this time. "Inquisitor?"

Still nothing.

"Neriah?"

Her right eye began to twitch.

"_Lethallan?_"

Something inside of her snapped. She could almost feel her heart trying to explode inside her, and it was not a nice feeling. White hot anger seared through her thawing veins, and she felt a flush creeping up her neck, and into her pointed ears. She opened her mouth, and managed to utter a single word, lest she break down before everyone. Part of her wanted to throw her arms around him and never let go.

The other part wanted to kick him in the throat.

"_Fine._" Before anyone could answer, she practically vaulted over a nearby table to get back to the door leading to her room. Once she was safely within the cold, dark confines of the staircase leading up to her quarters, did she sink to the floor and break down completely.

* * *

The sun had set hours before, leaving the bedroom of the Inquisitor in a dim, cold light, thrown only by the candles Neriah had set up around her bed, and desk near the window. She had eventually picked herself up off the floor, and slowly climbed the stairs to her room, where she had thrown herself onto her bed like a child, and wept for what felt like hours. The tearstains left on her bed were a reminder of her anger, betrayal, and confusion.

Why now? Why after all this time had Solas suddenly decided to come back? It made no sense to her. He had left so abruptly, seeming only concerned with his broken Artifact Orb Thing that Corypheus had used. Solas had wanted so desperately to find out what it did, and get it back, in the name of the Elven People, but he had failed. Had he really taken that stupid orb breaking so hard? Was he now back because he realized that he had made a huge mistake? What would he say to her when they were alone? Would she even _want_ to be alone with him? She couldn't imagine anything of the sort at that moment; the thought of it only hurt.

Was she being too dramatic over this? Had her quick snap and running away from the group made her look childish? Now that she had calmed down, she was beginning to feel embarrassed. Perhaps she would go to her friends in the morning and apologize to them for how she had reacted. They had probably not been expecting anything less; if anything, perhaps a few of them (a few being Iron Bull and Sera) had perhaps wanted to see her scream at Solas, or perhaps even slap him. She had to admit, the ideas for both had crossed her mind, though she figured that neither would have really helped the situation be any less painful and uncomfortable for everyone involved.

Neriah was rubbing her tired eyes when she heard a small _whoosh_ nearby her. She cracked an eye, and saw a shape standing on her balcony, behind the thin curtains that she was sure were just there for decoration, since they did nothing whatsoever to block out the brilliant morning sun most days.

"Hello Cole," she said quietly, standing up slowly and regarding the Spirit Boy as he timidly came into the dim light.

"Pounding heart; everything hurts. Eyes are scratchy and raw, like your mind from screaming in frustration. You are blaming yourself again." He stared at her from under his enormous hat, his pale eyes glinting in the candlelight.

Neriah almost cracked a smile. She had always liked the fact that Cole could feel other peoples' thoughts and pain. It made him easier to talk to, since he could directly relate to what she was feeling. Sometimes yes, it could be a touch irritating, but mostly Neriah appreciated Cole's friendship and, hopefully, he hers.

"I am not blaming myself again, Cole." She said wearily, slouching back onto her bed, and resting her head in her hands. She felt the bed sag next to her as Cole seated himself beside her. She could feel him watching her, and she slowly raised her gaze to meet his calm one.

"I just… Why now? Why did it take him six months to even show up? Why didn't he contact us before? I don't understand."

"Frustration," Cole said simply, "The unknown confuses and angers you. There are no answers."

Neriah glanced sideways at him, before massaging her temples in slow, circular motions. Her eyes still hurt from crying, and her head was beginning to pound. Her throat was dry, and she could really use a drink of water. She rose and walked over to her dresser, where there was a constant pitcher of water. She poured a cup, offering one to Cole, who politely refused.

"Your throat has become a desert," he said quietly as Neriah took a long gulp of water, relishing in its coolness.

She wiped her mouth, putting the cup down. "By the Creators, I can close Fade Rifts, why can I not close my own damn heart?" She laughed bitterly, and Cole gave her a small, sad smile.

Cole kept Neriah company for a little while longer, and they talked softly about meaningless things, in order to take her mind off her current predicament. Cole knew what was really on her mind, but he did not use his abilities to ask her about it anymore. He had learned and grown so much in the last year. Despite his protests, Neriah was glad she hadn't listened to Solas when Cole had had the option to become more human. That had been one of the only times Neriah hadn't wanted to use Solas's advice, and at the time it had seemed like it had really irked him. It was when Cole left, and Neriah was left to her own devices, that she finally lay herself down, and drifted into the Fade.

Within the darkest corners of her dream world, she thought she heard a wolf howl.

* * *

The pale sunlight hit Neriah in the face, and she slowly opened her eyes. She was laying sprawled, still fully clothed, on her bed, and her short, silver hair was completely disheveled. She'd been asleep for several hours, though due to her wanderings in the Fade, she felt as though she hadn't slept a wink. Her head was pounding more than it had been the previous day, and she felt as though she had consumed far too much ale the night before, despite having not drank anything alcoholic for several days.

She rolled out of bed, accidentally falling out and hitting the stone floor with a grunt. Grumbling, she got to her feet, dusting herself off, as the events of the previous day came rushing back to her. Her breath hitched, if she went down into Skyhold, there was a chance she would run into Solas. The thought both excited and terrified her. She decided that, for the time being, perhaps it would be best if she avoided the elf at all costs, until she could get a better grasp on the fact that he was back, and then maybe try to find out why he left in the first place. Before she could do that, however, she would need to get a better handle on her emotions while around him.

She changed into some clean clothes, ran a brush through her short hair, and exited her quarters slowly, careful not to draw any attention to herself. She walked through the Main Hall, where the visiting Nobles were beginning to gather. As she walked passed the hall that she knew led to Solas's old (now new she supposed) quarters, she saw the thin elf. Her heart pounded a little harder. It took her a moment to see that he was talking with Varric. The dwarf had his back to her. She stood watching for too long, for at that moment, Solas looked passed Varric, and his eyes fell on her. Their gaze held for a moment, and she saw a small, sad smile form on his lips. It sent a wave of emotions through her, but before she could react, Varric noticed Solas gazing passed him, and turned around to look at Neriah as well. As soon as he did, Neriah hurried away out of the Main Hall, and into the bustle of Skyhold, without so much as a backwards glance.

She darted across the courtyard as quickly and silently as she could, trying to avoid the questioning looks from soldiers and citizens. She ducked into Herald's Rest Tavern, in a last ditch effort to not be seen. She tucked herself into the back of the tavern, after getting herself a huge mug of ale to help dull her still heightened emotions. She took a huge swig of her ale, swishing it around in her mouth, before swallowing the stuff down, grimacing slightly at the taste. She had never been a huge fan of _shemlen_ drinks – they were far too bitter for her liking. However, today Neriah didn't care; she needed something help her try to forget the pounding of her heart, and the cold sweat her body was threatening to break into. By the Creators, she was a mess.

"Care for a little company?" came a suave voice from somewhere to her left. She turned her head, and found Dorian standing beside her, grinning down at her.

She smiled slightly up at her friend, "I look that desperate?"

Dorian chuckled, taking the seat next to her, "Not really; you just looked like you needed the company of a dashing Tevinter mage, my dear!" He waved to the bartender, who brought him the same drink as Neriah. He took a long drink before speaking again.

"I also wanted to make certain that you were doing alright after last night's events. I must say, Iron Bull did _not_ take Solas's return well. We were up half the night because he would _not_ stop griping about it." He shook his head, still smiling slightly. "So, how _are_ you doing, Neriah? You seemed quite upset last night."

Neriah looked down at her drink, trying to work out the right words. She looked back up at Dorian, who was watching her expectantly. "I'm doing alright I suppose – it's just a lot to take in, you know?" She took a small sip of her ale. "Anyway, let us discuss something else. I wish to put my mind at ease for the time being." Her friend nodded and, as she had with Cole, they settled into meaningless conversation. It was going rather well, until the door to the tavern opened again, and Blackwall strode in. He noticed Dorian and Neriah, waved, and walked over, grabbing himself a mug of strong mead before he took the seat across from Neriah.

"So, about the elf," Blackwall didn't even say hello. The older man's face was grave as he regarded Neriah and Dorian over his mug. Beside her, Neriah heard Dorian let out an exasperated sigh.

"My dear Blackwall," Dorian said slowly, putting down his mug, and giving the man a withering look. "Perhaps we should refrain from speaking of "the elf" until our lovely Lady Inquisitor has had time to come to terms with his return?" He stared hard at Blackwall, who was turning a lovely shade of red; his face nearly matched Leliana's hair. He grunted in response, returning to his drink without another word.

Neriah threw Dorian a grateful smile, before taking another sip of her drink. They sat in silence for a few moments, before the door to the tavern opened again, and Dorian raised a hand in greeting. A huge shadow fell over the group, and Neriah glanced back over her shoulder to see Iron Bull towering over her.

"Hey, boss," the huge Qunari said, grinning down at her, "Varric is looking for you; seems important."

Neriah grimaced, and put her mug down. The last she'd seen of Varric, he'd been talking to Solas. Whatever the dwarf wanted, it most likely included the elven mage. She scooted her chair over so Iron Bull could pull one up between herself and Dorian, who happily moved his chair over to fit the huge warrior.

"He doesn't know where I am, does he?" Neriah asked the leader of the Chargers.

Iron Bull's laugh rumbled low in his throat. "Naw, I don't think so, boss." Not a moment after he said that, Varric strode into the tavern. Neriah threw Iron Bull an annoyed look, and he chuckled. "Whoops?"

Neriah hissed through her teeth as Varric walked up. "Hey, you, I need you to come with me. You're wanted in the War Room."

Neriah let out a huge sigh, and put her mug down, offering Bull the rest of her ale, which he down in one huge gulp. She rose, and followed Varric out of the tavern.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?" She asked as they walked back through the courtyard, and up the stone stairs to the Main Hall, which led to the War Room.

Varric shrugged, "That depends. How much do you want to go on an adventure?" He tried to grin up at her, but she saw something in his eyes.

"You know I am always up for an adventure, Varric." Neriah chided him as they walked. "What's the catch?"

Varric refused to look at her, though she thought she saw a small smirk on his face. "You'll see."

Neriah grumbled as they entered the hall leading to the War Room. She could hear voices drifting from the War Room, and knew immediately who she would see upon entering. The huge doors swung open, and they entered.

The sun was filtering through the huge windows, making the War Room seem to glow. The large, wooden table had maps and figures strewn all over it, and around it were Cullen, Leliana, Josephine, Cassandra…

… And Solas.

Neriah had to keep her face calm as they walked up. She looked anywhere but at the elf mage, whose gaze she was certain was trying to burn a hole in the back of her head.

"Inquisitor," Cassandra greeted her with a nod of her head, which Neriah returned respectively.

"What seems to be the problem?" She asked, striding up to the wooden table, taking a brief moment to acknowledge the others with a quick nod to each, except Solas.

"It seems we have encountered a bit of a problem here in the mountains." Cullen moved forward and Neriah turned to look at him.

"A problem? Of what sort? Is Skyhold in danger?"

"Not at present," Cullen said tiredly, rubbing the back of his head. "But that can very easily change." He pointed to a section of the map of Ferelden that lay upon the War Table. "Just north of here, between here and the dwarven city of Orzammar, there was a brief fight between a group of rebel mages, and a group of Templars."

"My agents tell me that one of the mages blew a hole the size of a barn into the mountainside." Leliana said softly from Cullen's left. "The hole was so large, that it appears to have reached into what looks to be an old dwarven Thaig. We fear it may lead into the Deeproads."

Neriah shuddered. The Deeproads were where the Darkspawn resided, deep within the earth; the creatures that attacked during Thedas's Blights. "Have there been any reports of any Darkspawn activity?"

"None yet," Leliana admitted, "However, that is where Solas came in." She gestured to the elf, who stood quietly behind Neriah, who gave him a mere incline with her head.

"In my wanderings of the Wilds, I came upon an Elven Clan, who claimed that there had been several Darkspawn attacks within the last few weeks." Solas said calmly, his voice resonating throughout the War Room. It took all Neriah had in her not to allow herself to enjoy the sounds of his voice again; she had always liked Solas's voice.

He turned to look at Neriah, "It was not clan Lavellan that I found, either; do not worry, Inquisitor. They are safe." Neriah fixed him with a hard stare, before nodding her head curtly in response.

She turned back to Leliana. "Alright; Leliana, dispatch a few of your agents, and Cullen," she turned to the former Templar, "send some soldiers to patrol the area. Make sure the clan stays safe. If need be, we will send a few workers, and have the hole filled as soon as possible. Send word to the Clan's Keeper."

She was about to turn to leave, when Leliana spoke again. "That is not all, Inquisitor."

Neriah turned back, confused. "What do you mean?"

Leliana gestured to Varric now, who stood next to Neriah still. The dwarf turned to face the elf, his brow furrowed. "It's about the Keeper of the clan herself, Neriah. She calls herself Keeper Marethari."

Still confused, Neriah raised an eyebrow, "What does that have to do with anything?"

Varric sighed. "A few years ago, during all the shit going on in Kirkwall, Hawke and I had a few friends with us helping out with everything. One of them was an elf girl named Merrill; skittish little thing. She was trying to rebuild one of those mirror things Morrigan showed us. The elusive-something?"

"_Eluvian_," Neriah said quietly, remembering the powerful elven mirror Morrigan had shown her and her companions half a year before. "Go on."

Varric nodded, "Anyway, she was trying to remake one, or something like that. Long story short, it didn't work, and the Keeper of her Clan was killed in the process. Her Keeper's name was Marethari."

Neriah raised her other eyebrow. "Many elves gave the same names; it is a common thing."

Varric's sly grin was back again, "Here's the kicker. The Clan that Merrill was part of… Was the same Clan that the Hero of Ferelden was from before she became a Grey Warden."

Before Neriah could answer, Leliana spoke up. "You remember, I knew the Hero of Ferelden quite well during the Fifth Blight," she said quietly. "She was a close friend of mine."

Something clicked in Neriah's mind. "And she disappeared over a decade ago…"

Leliana nodded, "Precisely. Over ten years ago, the Hero of Ferelden disappeared on the eve of King Alistair's coronation. None of us ever saw her again."

Neriah stared at everyone in stunned silence for a moment before speaking again. "You don't think…"

"We don't know for certain," Leliana said stiffly, "But it could be her. It would explain why the clan claimed reports of Darkspawn without any proof of them. If this Keeper Marethari is really the Hero of Ferelden using the name of her former Keeper, then she would be able to sense the Darkspawn long before they descended on her camp." Leliana leaned over the War Table, looking at the map. "We want you, Inquisitor, to go and find this Dalish camp, and find out of this is in fact the Hero of Ferelden, or merely an elf by the same name as the former Keeper. If she is who we think she is, then she can help us seal off this potential entrance into the Deeproads, and stop the Darkspawn from getting into Ferelden again."

It was a lot for Neriah to take in. For the last decade she had heard stories of the young Dalish girl who had defeated the Archdemon and saved Ferelden during its Fifth Blight, alongside the man who become the King of Ferelden not long after. After the defeat of the demon, the young elf had mysteriously vanished without a trace on the eve of King Alistair's coronation, without even a goodbye. No one had been able to find her after that. It had been assumed that she had either disappeared into the Wilds, or died from her taint. If this truly was her, then the Inquisition could greatly benefit from finding her, especially if there were Darkspawn roaming about.

Then a thought occurred to her. "Why didn't this Keeper just move her clan away from the danger?" She asked Leliana.

Leliana smiled slightly, "I thought the same thing. If this is her, then it may be because, due to her taint and life as a former Grey Warden, she would most likely feel that it is her duty to remain and try to stop the Darkspawn. That is, of course, merely a guess. We could be completely wrong. However, we do still need to help stop the potential Darkspawn threat."

Neriah nodded slowly, trying to take in all in. "Alright… I'll do it. We will set out in the morning for the elf camp." Cullen nodded, marking the location on the map for her with a pin.

"Excellent decision, Inquisitor." Solas spoke up from behind her. She actually turned to look at him this time. He had his old, simple smile on his face as he looked at her. "I will begin preparations; please inform me when we are ready to depart." He then strode from the War Room, the doors slamming shut behind him.

Neriah's eyes narrowed; she turned back to look at her War Council. "_We?_" She said monotonously.

Josephine and Leliana looked nervous, as did Cullen and Cassandra. The four of them refused to meet the steely gaze of the elven mage, who was beginning to grow angry.

Josephine finally spoke. "Well…" She glanced sideways at Leliana. "Leliana and I spoke about it, and we feel it may be beneficial if you bring Solas with you. After all, he _does_ know the precise location of the clan. Not to mention he also knows a great deal about the Dalish, as you do."

Neriah bristled at that, "Solas knows _nothing_ of my people." She said angrily, and Josephine began ringing her hands in worry.

"But he removed those markings on your face, did he not? I thought they didn't mean what your people thought they did?" She blinked her huge brown eyes at Neriah, who whirled to glare at Varric.

"You _told _her?" She stared at him, embarrassment and anger in her stormy eyes.

Varric stared up at the ceiling passed Neriah's head. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Neriah clenched and unclenched her fists, gritting her teeth. She bit back an angry remark, before turning back to her War Council, who all looked pretty terrified.

She sighed loudly, raking her hands through her hair. "Alright, _fine_. I suppose it's not _that_ terrible of an idea." They were right; she knew that. It would be helpful to have Solas along, but the fact that she wanted to either cry or yell when she saw him didn't really help. "But I'm bringing _this_ _one_ with me." She jabbed Varric in the shoulder, who grinned sheepishly up at her. "Lest you tell the rest of Skyhold my whole life's story!"

Varric tried to look innocent, "What? It seemed like good potential story material if I wanted to write about elves!" Her swing missed his head by mere inches, as he tore out of the War Room.

A few moments later, Neriah was standing alone in the War Room, the wind whistling through the windows. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her mind and heart. In the morning she would be departing to find the elf who potentially saved all of Ferelden from the Fifth Blight, all while traveling with the elf who she used to, and perhaps still did, love.

Well, _shit_.

* * *

**A/N: This took **_**so **_**long to write! I am really pleased with the outcome. I was really disappointed that only Hawke made an appearance in "Inquisition", and not your Warden, so I thought, "To Hell with this!" and decided to write her in! I think this will work out nicely. **

_**Elven Meanings:**_

**Lethallan: Female variant of a term used to refer to someone with whom one is familiar. (You can imagine why Neriah got so angry when Solas called her that, eh?)**

**Eluvian: Literally means "Looking Glass" – giant mirror of magical craziness.**


	3. Dareth Shiral

**A/N: The title of this chapter means "Safe Journey" – I feel it was fitting, seeing as our group is about to go on an adventure. Though, I don't think some of them are going to particularly enjoy this, given who they are forced to travel with. **

* * *

_Chapter Three:_

_Dareth Shiral_

The morning dawned bright and cold, just as Neriah had envisioned. She crawled out of her bed, throwing on some clothes, and putting a few belongings into her pack to bring along with her for the journey ahead. She knew they could be gone for a month at the most, and wanted to bring as many provisions with her as possible. She made mental note to inform the others who she brought with her to bring the same amount, and they should be fine while they were gone.

She hadn't yet decided who else she would be bringing with her on her trek to find this Dalish camp. She knew that Solas would be there, much to her disapproval, and Varric, since she wasn't about to leave the dwarf alone with her other companions again. She also knew that Cassandra would most likely remain behind to help run things while she was gone. The Seeker was a natural born leader, and Neriah didn't want to leave anyone else in charge during her absences.

Neriah grabbed her staff, threw her pack over her shoulder, and quickly exited her bedroom, hurrying down the stairs, and into the Main Hall. She wanted to head out as soon as possible, so that the sun would be in the sky longer, and they wouldn't need to travel at night. Heading north through the Frostback Mountains, and into the forests near Orzammar, was going to be one hell of a journey in itself; not to mention she had to do the whole thing with Solas only mere feet away from her the whole time. The thought made her cheeks flush with anger, and her heart beat a little faster, with what she was going to pretend was annoyance.

She walked through the Main Hall at a brisk pace, her boots making soft _clicking_ sounds on the stone floors as the moved towards the large, wooden doors. Just as she was about to exit the hall, Varric suddenly appeared in front of her, his usual grin back on his face.

"Morning, sunshine," the dwarf grinned up at her. "Sleep well?"

Neriah playfully took a swipe at him. She was still annoyed at him for telling Josephine about Solas's removal of her _vallaslin_, but knew she couldn't stay mad at him for very long. Varric was just too damn loveable.

"Just fine, thanks. Thank you again for agreeing to come with me on this mission, by the way." She said as they exited the Main Hall, and descended the steps to the courtyard where they would meet the others Neriah would choose to accompany them. She mentally noted that she didn't see Solas anywhere, and wondered vaguely if he had decided to not come with them after all.

Varric chuckled. "Hey, it's not like I had a choice! Besides," he looked more serious now, "someone has to keep Chuckles in line." Seeing the loon on her face, he patted her arm. "Don't worry, Quizzy. I'll make sure he doesn't say anything stupid."

Neriah smiled down at her friend, glad to have his company. She knew that he wasn't really angry with Solas, not as much as she was anyway, she figured. Varric was a very easy-going dwarf, and got along with almost everyone in the Inquisition. He'd even managed to get on Cassandra's good side, which was in itself an incredible feat.

"So, have you decided who else is going to come with us?" He asked, returning the conversation to the task at hand, perhaps for her own benefit, rather than to sate his actual curiosity.

She shrugged, "Not yet. I figure I'll let Cassandra stay here to keep things going while I'm gone. Other than that I really hadn't given it much thought. I guess I'll just ask and see who wants to come."

Varric smirked, "Good call, Quizzy. Leave it up to the masses to vote amongst themselves; how can that go wrong?" Neriah rolled her eyes, and was about to retort back, when there was a yell from near the entrance to Skyhold.

"You absolute _piss-bag!_" It sounded like Sera.

Neriah and Varric exchanged looks of surprise, and fear, and darted down the steps to the front gates, preparing themselves for the worst. Sure enough, they found the rest of their companions gathered there, all surrounding what looked like Solas and Sera, the latter looking absolutely livid. Neriah and Varric hurried up.

"What the hell is going on?" Neriah demanded, looking from Solas to Sera. Solas looked painfully calm, though she could see a glint in his eye, and Sera looked like she wanted to slap him, or worse.

Sera whirled to face her. "I'll tell you, yeah? _This one_ just leaves like a pansy, and then just _shows up_ again six months later, without so much as a "piss-off" or "hiya"! Who does that? And to _you_ no less! He's a right wank stain!" Neriah didn't think she'd ever seen Sera so angry before in the near two years she'd known her.

"Sera, calm down," Neriah implored her meekly, "There's no need to get so angry."

Sera stared at her incredulously, "_Wot?_ You serious? Forgive me, your great and powerful Inquisitorialness, but this _wank_ just fucks _right_ off, comes back, and says nothin'! He owes us a bloody good explanation!" She whipped back around to face Solas, who just looked exasperated now.

"How about it, baldy? Care to tell us where the hell you went, and why we should even be helping you with any of this at all? Do you have _any _idea how much fuckin' _shite_ you caused?"

Solas stood his ground, his face still calm, though a smirk was tugging at the corners of his mouth. The sight of it caused Neriah to feel a spike of annoyance. "I am aware of the pain I caused." His voice was flat, but the glint in his eyes made Sera lose it.

"I'll show you pain, you bald arsehole!" She moved to take a swing at Solas, who dodged her fist easily, staring passed her at Neriah, his eyes both imploring, and what looked to be a little amused.

Neriah got between the two fighting elves quickly, "Alright, that's _enough!_" She shouted the last part, while shoving Sera back a little, so that the elf stumbled, and didn't try to take another swing at the apostate. "Sera, no more trying to hit Solas! And Solas," she addressed the elf with a pained look on her face, "No more provoking Sera." Solas nodded once, while Sera looked like Neriah had spit on her.

"Are you _kidding _me?" She roared. "He abandoned you, Neriah! He left us! He just fucked off with no –"

It was Neriah's turn to snap now. "I said _enough_, Sera!" She addressed her friends now. "If Solas doesn't wish to tell us why he left…" She turned to look at the elf apostate now, the pain and anger in her eyes extremely relevant, causing Solas's calm composure to momentarily dissolve. "He doesn't have to." Her gaze was hard, "Let him have his secrets."

Solas stared at her for a moment. It looked like he wanted to say something, but thought against it. "I… thank you, Inquisitor." He turned to walk away, but turned back briefly. "I will await you at the gates when you are prepared to depart." Neriah nodded once, and he turned and walked away.

* * *

Neriah ended up coming to the conclusion that she was going to bring (along with Varric and Solas) Iron Bull, Dorian, Cole, and Blackwall with her for this journey. She had chosen Dorian, and Iron Bull hadn't taken no for an answer that he was coming along, as well. The mage and the Qunari were pretty much inseparable at this point. Blackwall had wanted to come along to kill some potential Darkspawn. Neriah figured it was because he was still trying to atone for all the problems associated with his lies in the past, and she was not about to say no to the warrior joining them; they could use his skills. Cole wanted to come too, perhaps because he wanted to be there if Neriah needed to talk, and perhaps because the Spirit Boy would be a good mediator if needed. Essentially, she took everyone except Sera, who had stated that she would rather "drown in piss rather than be around Solas again". Neriah had taken a few moments to talk to her elven archer friend before they left, and Sera had admitted that she wasn't mad at her.

"I wos just pissed that he just left, y'know?" She sighed, as she and Neriah sat up in her room in Herald's Rest Tavern. "He left so suddenly, and he hurt you so bad; it just doesn't seem fair, yeah?"

Neriah nodded, "I know, Sera. I'm sorry for yelling at you. I just can't stand everyone squabbling like a pack of geese, even if we _are_ all annoyed at Solas."

Sera shrugged, a little smile on her face. She playfully shoved Neriah in the shoulder, before her face turned serious. "You have more of a cause to be hateful though, yeah?" She said softly. "I mean, you two _did it_, yeah? And then he goes and breaks your little heart? What a prick." Neriah didn't even bother to correct her in the assumption that she and Solas had been _that _intimate.

After she was certain that she and Sera were on good terms again, Neriah bid her a farewell, before departing the tavern, and gathering with the rest of her party to leave Skyhold. Cassandra and Leliana were there to see them off.

"Good luck to you, Inquisitor." Cassandra saluted her as the group prepared to depart. "I will pray to the Maker that you find what you seek, and that this potential Darkspawn threat is but a rumor."

"If you do find the Hero of Ferelden… Please give her my regards." Leliana said quietly from next to the Seeker. "I… I wish to know of her fate, regardless if it is not what we assumed." Neriah nodded at the redhead, who gave the smallest, real smile that Neriah had seen from the Spymaster.

Neriah nodded, "I promise Leliana, I will. We will be back as soon as we can. I will send word if anything goes wrong. Please take care of things in my absence." Cassandra and Leliana both nodded, saluting her as she turned to face her group. "Alright, let's head out!" They all exited Skyhold, and the gates swung closed behind them.

* * *

"How far is this camp anyway?" Dorian was grumbling. It had been a few hours since they had departed from Skyhold, and the sun was already getting high in the sky. Neriah knew they would have to stop and make camp sooner than she'd hoped, since the nights in the Frostback Mountains were always bitterly cold. Thankfully she, Solas, and Dorian all knew how to conjure fire, or else they'd be in serious trouble for sure.

"It is about three days from Skyhold, I believe." Solas replied, his usual calm tone back again since they'd left. He had thrown Neriah a small smile as they had departed, which told her he was grateful that she had stood up for him when Sera had been ready to murder him. She had responded with a curt nod, which told him that yes, she had defended him, but no, she was not ready to forgive him. "We should arrive there in the morn of the third day, if we are lucky."

Dorian continued to grumble after this, despite Iron Bull's teasing comments about him being a wuss when it came to the cold. The two were bickering like an old married couple, when Neriah addressed the group as a whole.

"We need to set up camp now," She gestured to a rocky area behind her that had a little less snow on it. "We can camp here – it's the only area I can see that has a little less snow on it…" She gave her friends an apologetic little shrug and smile, before reaching into her pack to retrieve her tent. The others followed suit, and after a about half an hour, there were five tents set up. Dorian and Iron Bull were sharing one, but only after Neriah made them promise that there would be no noise complaints during the evening. They both begrudgingly agreed, but only after Neriah threatened to send them into the Fade with her mark if they didn't listen to her. Since he had forgotten a tent, Cole would be sharing one with Varric, and everyone else had their own, thankfully. Neriah had had a fearful thought that she would be forced to sleep in the same tent as Solas, if he or one of the others had forgotten one as well.

Each member of the group took an hour shift during the night to keep watch for any enemies, demons, or Darkspawn that could pop up, and the others took to rest.

Sometime in the night, Neriah awoke to the sound of voices. She recognized the voices of Cole and Solas in the dimness of the night. It was when she heard her name that she became interested. She slowly pulled back the flap of her tent slightly, listening intently as they spoke. She could make out their shapes in the dull firelight.

"_Ar lasa mala revas._ You are free. You are so beautiful. But then you turned away. Why?" Neriah felt her breath hitch; Cole was asking Solas about their last encounter; the night he took away her _vallaslin_. She felt her eyes sting; she had forgotten that Solas had said those things to her, before breaking her heart and breaking off their relationship.

Solas spoke softly into the night. "I had no choice." He sounded weary, and Neriah could see his shoulders droop slightly in the firelight.

Cole sounded sad when he answered. "She is bare-faced, embarrassed, and she doesn't know. She thinks it's because of her." Neriah stared at them, hardly daring to breathe. Would Solas tell Cole why he'd left her like he had?

Solas's head dropped lower in the darkness. Neriah couldn't see his face, but she could assume that he looked either sad or angry. "You cannot heal this, Cole. Please, let it go." His voice was flat; no emotion, not even remorse, filled it.

But Cole didn't listen to him. "You hurt, an old pain from before, when everything sang the same." He turned his head a little, watching Solas with his pale eyes that glinted in the dying fire. "She's real, and it means everyone could be real. It changes everything, but it can't." Solas was beginning to shift next to Cole, who pressed on, unaffected by the mage's obvious uncomfortableness. "They sleep, masked in a mirror, hiding, hurting, and to wake them…" Cole gasped suddenly, and Neriah nearly leapt out of her skin. The sound pierced the night like a knife.

Cole sounded upset. "Where did it go?"

Solas stood now, his back to the Spirit Boy. "I apologize, Cole. That is not a pain you can heal." He began to walk back to his tent, and Neriah figured Cole would take the rest of the watch. Before he entered his tent, Cole spoke again.

"You still love her. Even while she hurts. Even in her confusion." Cole sounded a little triumphant, as much as he could, and a little sad at the same time.

Solas paused before he entered his tent, but did not turn. He remained there for a moment, saying nothing, before entering the tent, and closing the flap behind him. Neriah slowly closed the flap to her own tent, and lay back down on her sleeping pack.

It felt like hours before she was able to enter the Fade again.

* * *

**A/N: All done! This chapter was fun to write – I liked being able to try my hand at dialogue from other characters this time, especially Solas and Cole. (Cole is so fun to try to write; he's such a little cinnamon bun!)**

**The dialogue used between Cole and Solas is actually from the game, after you and Solas break up. It's random, but it happens as party banter when the two of them are with you. For me, it actually initiated right by a statue of Fen'Harel. Go figure. So sad. I added the last part where Cole says he still loves Lavellan, because I felt it would add a little more angst to the scene. I am so horrible. Hope you all enjoyed! **


	4. Andaran Atish'an

**A/N: The title of this chapter means "Enter this place in peace" – a common greeting among Dalish elves. I felt it was appropriate seeing as this is the chapter where our group finds the camp! Makes sense, I guess. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Chapter Four: _

_Andaran Atish'an_

Neriah slowly exited her tent, the cold mountain air piercing her lungs like a thousand little needless, momentarily leaving her breathless. She blinked her eyes into the harsh sunlight that reflected off the fresh snow that had ambushed their camp during the night. She stretched her limbs, cracking her neck and fingers, before turning back to grab her things from her tent before packing it up again. Just as she was turning back to re-enter her tent, someone spoke to her.

"Good morning, Inquisitor. Sleep well?" Solas was watching her from the fire pit, where the long dead fire's ashes still remained.

She refused to meet his gaze, her mind still reeling from the conversation she had overheard the night before. "I found no comfort in the Fade," she said quietly. She had tossed and turned all night, and the brief sleep she did get was fitful. Shadows had danced around her the whole time, taking the forms of various different animals, wolves being the most prominent. "Yourself?" She asked, trying to be polite, but all the while wanting to crawl back into her tent and never come out.

Solas's eyebrows knitted together in what looked like concern for her. "I am sorry to hear it, Inquisitor." He looked away from her, his storm-grey eyes distant. "I too found no solace within the Fade, myself. No spirits came to me; all was unusually quiet."

Neriah looked down at the snow, moving her boot slowly through it. "I am sorry to hear that, as well. I find it difficult to find rest anywhere but my own room lately. Since the defeat of Corypheus, I haven't had much cause to leave Skyhold."

Solas fixed her with a sad smile. "I can imagine; I am certain none of you would have cause to leave since his defeat, not since…" His voice trailed off, watching her silently.

She looked up at him, her eyes still pained, her voice soft. "Not since you left."

Their gazes held for a moment. Solas's eyes where filled with pain, something Neriah hadn't seen since his return. He slowly approached her, taking calm, careful steps, until he was directly before her.

"_Lethallan_," his voice was soft. She could see his hand slowly begin to reach for hers. Her breath caught in her throat. She was reminded heavily of a year before; back to the first time she and Solas had kissed, while in the Fade. He had tried to pull away from her even back then, but she hadn't let him. She had kissed him first, and he had responded graciously. After that the two of them were inseparable, journeying together through the Fade almost every evening. Since he had left, Neriah had felt so alone, and no comfort within the dream world. She was broken out of her reverie and became abruptly aware of how close Solas's face and body was to hers. Her heart began to beat a little faster, and she felt her cheeks flush.

Suddenly, there was a loud noise from behind them. They both whirled to see Varric and Cole sprawled in the snow, having apparently fallen out of their tent.

"S-Sorry, Inquisitor." Varric sputtered, while trying to shove the Spirit Boy off of him, as he had fallen on top of the dwarf. Cole was stammering something about "Unresolved feelings!" when Varric threw him off, and Cole landed with a yelp in a pile of snow. It had been clear the two have been eavesdropping on Neriah and Solas's conversation.

"Come on, kid. Help me pack up my tent." Varric ushered Cole away from the two elves, who were both turning the color of snow berries.

* * *

After that little incident, the group had packed up their camp, and were off again, but not before Iron Bull and Dorian had made a big show appearing _very_ late out of their tent, and Iron Bull strutted around smugly, while Dorian looked embarrassed. Neriah had threatened to send them to the void, and the Qunari had smartened up instantly, both himself and the Tevinter mage looking ashamed.

They pressed on through the snow, and began to descend the back of the Frostback Mountains before evening began to fall again. In the distance, Neriah could see the forests beginning to reappear again, and she knew that Solas had been correct, they would arrive at the Dalish camp by morning, if the weather remained calm.

They set up camp again, Neriah took the first watch. She sat alone by the fire, the veil fire, which she had conjured earlier that evening. The green light danced across her face and hair as she watched it. She had always liked the look of veil fire compared to regular fire. It was a beautiful color, and it gave her a sense of calmness. Her Keeper had also been a mage, so veil fire was a common thing in her clan. Seeing the pale green flames now made her feel more at home than she had in a while. Part of her was looking forward to getting to the Dalish camp. It had been some time since she had been amongst her own people, and it would be nice to see some of her culture again.

A sound made her reach for her staff, but it was revealed to only be Varric. The dwarf was taking second watch after her, and had appeared early. He came and sat down beside her, the green light making him look like a ghost.

"How are you holding up?" He asked, his tone even. "Sorry about this morning. I caught the kid eavesdropping, and for some reason started doing the same. I knocked him out of the tent to prevent any weird things from happening." He raised an eyebrow at her, and Neriah felt her cheeks grow warm.

"Uh, thanks, Varric." She looked away. "I'm holding up alright, I suppose. As good as anyone else would, I guess." She looked into the flames, not saying anything. After a few moments of silence, she turned back to her friend. "I just want to get this over with; get to the clan, find this giant hole, fix the issue, and go back to Skyhold. Then maybe things can start getting back to normal."

Varric patted her arm, giving her a grin. "It will; don't worry so much," he turned back to the fire, stroking Bianca, his crossbow, as he did. "You should get some sleep; I'll take over from here."

Neriah nodded, bid her friend a good night, and went into her tent to try and get some sleep, and peace of mind.

* * *

"Just over this ridge," Solas said calmly, pointing through the snow covered trees. "The camp should be just up there." He led the group over the rocky, snow covered hill. Upon reaching the summit, they were greeted with the sight of a Dalish camp. The elven _aravels_ were scattered here and there, and Neriah could see a few _halla_ standing nearby, dragging their hooves through the snow, trying to find some form of plant life to graze on. The sight of the camp sent waves of nostalgia through Neriah's being, and for a moment she was paralyzed by everything. It was when the hunter approached that she was jolted back to reality.

"_Andaran atish'an_," the elf greeted them with the common elven greeting. "Are you lost, travellers?"

Solas stepped forward, "_Aneth ara_. I am Solas, I was here in your camp not a fortnight ago, speaking with your Keeper about the Darkspawn threat," He gestured to Neriah, "I have brought the leader of the Inquisition, Inquisitor Lavellan."

Neriah smiled at the hunter, "_Andaran atish'an_," She greeted the elf, who looked a little surprised at her use of the elven greeting.

"You are Dalish?" She asked, her voice filled with mild disbelief. "But, where is your _vallaslin_?"

The awkward silence that followed that comment made the small group shuffle nervously. Neriah could feel Solas's eyes avoiding, and she heard Cole murmur something, only to be hushed by Varric.

She turned back to the hunter. "I had one once. It has since… Been removed. I am still Dalish, however. I hail from Clan Lavellan."

The hunter seemed satisfied with that answer, since her face relaxed, and she turned to allow them to pass. "Welcome to our camp, _da'len_. I recognize your friend," she gestured to Solas, "he spoke with our Keeper before about the hole in the mountainside. We fear another Darkspawn attack. Please, follow me. Keeper Marethari will speak with you momentarily."

Neriah and her friends followed the hunter into the Dalish camp. As they walked, the elves around them regarded them with suspicion. She could hear them whispering about Solas, recognizing him, and whispering about Neriah. Once she thought she heard one of them say "_vallaslin_" and she bristled slightly. Varric saw her reaction, and patted her sympathetically on the back, which calmed the elf slightly.

They came to a large _aravel_, with tapestries and elven artifacts surrounding it. There was a large curtain blocking the door, and the hunter signaled for them to stop, before entering the _aravel_ first. A moment later, she came back out, and small, polite smile on her face.

"Keeper Marethari will be with you in just a moment. _Dareth shiral_." She turned and walked away, leaving the group standing there waiting.

"These elves keep staring at me," Iron Bull grumbled, and Dorian patted his arm.

"It is because you are so intimidating, surely. These elves have no doubt ever met someone of your… calibre." He winked at the Qunari, who chuckled.

"Behave, you two." Neriah scolded them, "we are here as guests, not to draw unnecessary attention. The last thing we want is to make this clan feel uncomfortable."

"_Us_ make _them_ uncomfortable?" Varric stared at her. "I don't know if you've noticed, Quizzy, but you and Chuckles here are the only two who don't stick out like a Mabari in a confectionary."

Neriah was about to retort back, when the curtain into the _aravel_ opened, and Keeper Marethari came out. Neriah stared at her, hardly daring to breathe. This could be her; this could be the Hero of Ferelden.

Keeper Marethari stood at least a head taller than Neriah, and looked about a decade or so older. She had long, black hair, then fell down to her waist, which she had drawn back in a long plait down her back. Her _vallaslin_ was a beautifully intricate marking upon her forehead alone, and she had dark brown, almost black eyes. For an elven Keeper who lived within the forests, the elf woman was surprisingly pale. She carried and aura of authority about her, though it was not intimidating, so much as impressive. She was much younger than Neriah had envisioned.

An easy smile played across the Keeper's lips. "_Andaran atish'an, da'len_." She greeted her warmly. "How may I assist you?" She noticed Solas standing next to Neriah. "Solas, she greeted the elven apostate with the same warmth. "It is good to see you again, I trust you are well?"

Solas nodded once. "I am, Keeper. I bring before you the leader of the Inquisition, Inquisitor Lavellan."

Keeper Marethari turned to look back at Neriah. "Lavellan? Of clan Lavellan?"

Neriah nodded quickly. "Our Keeper is Dashana Istimaethoriel Lavellan."

Keeper Marethari smiled, "Then you are also, Dalish. Welcome to our clan, _lethallan_. But I must ask, where is your _vallaslin_?" Again with the same question. Neriah felt her eye twitch, and beside her Solas took over.

"I removed it for her, Keeper. I will tell you of what I discovered of the _vallaslin_ at a later date, but for now, we are here to assist you with the Darkspawn threat."

Keeper Marethari looked away from Neriah, but not before holding her gaze for a moment. "Of course, thank you, Solas. My clan and I greatly appreciate your aid in this matter. We fear that the threat will continue if the hole in the mountainside is not sealed."

Neriah took over from here. "On behalf of the Inquisition, please let me be the first to thank you for welcoming us so graciously into your camp. At your convenience, I would to converse privately, in hopes to decide the best course of action in this matter."

Keeper Marethari nodded at Neriah, before addressing her group. "Please, help yourselves to any food and drink you'd like; and feel free to set up your camp within ours. You are safe with my people, Inquisition." She gestured to her tent, and Neriah followed her inside, preparing herself for what she may be about to learn.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, this one was a little shorter, but the next will be much longer, since it's going to have a huge part of this story coming up in it! Bear with me! I liked the little scene I had with Solas and Neriah; it felt like Solas was really feeling some remorse for what happened. Also, did anyone pick up on my use of the wolves within Neriah's dreams? I snickered while writing that. Foreshadowing, huehueh. **

**Elven used:**

_**Da'len:**_** Little child – could be used to refer to someone familiar.**

_**Aneth Ara:**_** A more casual elven greeting; generally used between Dalish elves only.**

_**Aravel:**_** Elven caravan.**

_**Halla:**_** Elven, white (though there **_**is**_** a golden one in-game) horned stags. Very sacred to the elves. **

9


	5. Era

**A/N: Okay so this chapter is going to be a LOT longer than the last, I promise. There's a lot going on in this one; our heroes are going to learn a great deal of info. Be warned! May contain spoilers from Inquisition… Tread carefully! The titles means "tale, dream, or story" in elven. It'll make sense, I swear.**

**Oh! And for those of you who are interested, on my profile, there is a link to my DeviantArt page, whereupon you will find a drawing I just did of Neriah and Solas. Go forth and favourite. Cheers!**

* * *

_Chapter Five:_

_Era_

Keeper Marethari's _aravel_ was quiet. It amazed Neriah how the sound was blocked out so well from the outside world, with a mere covering by a blanket on the door. The interior was comfortable enough; there were drapes here and there, and a bedroll off in the corner. A small hearth was in the center, and the embers glowed a bright red. It was warm, as well, surprisingly so. Keeper Marethari seated herself at the hearth, gesturing to Neriah to join her.

The elven mage took a few cautious steps forward, taking a seat across from the older elf at the hearth. Keeper Marethari's dark eyes seemed to glow in the dim light, and she slowly removed the cloak she had been wearing, letting it fall softly onto the floor behind her. Neriah noticed how the elf's shoulders were very toned, much more toned that a Keeper's should be, she mused. Here and there, scars littered her arms and what Neriah could see of the Keeper's upper chest and throat. She also noticed that the elf was wearing a necklace, though what was on it she could not tell, since it was tucked into the front of her Dalish doublet. A thought tugged at the back of her mind.

* * *

"There is one more thing before you depart, Inquisitor." Leliana stopped Neriah at the gates to Skyhold. The elf gestured to her friends to continue on down the stone walkway. She saw Solas look back at her for a moment, before he too followed the others down the walk.

"What is it, Leliana?" Neriah asked, watching her friend's face carefully. Leliana had had a permanent crease on her forehead since sharing her theory with Neriah. The red head always had a strained expression on her face, but for the last two days it had been worse.

"When you do find this Keeper, there is something you should look for, if we are to be almost certain this is the Hero of Ferelden." Leliana's gaze was serious, and her jaw set. "She will most likely be wearing a pendant around her neck, signifying that she is a Grey Warden. It is called a _Warden's Oath_. It is an amulet that she was given after her Joining eleven years ago."

"What does it look like?" Neriah asked.

"It will be small, and red. It carries a small amount of Darkspawn blood inside it, as a reminder of the sacrifices she has made as a Warden."

"How do we know she'll even be wearing it?" Neriah didn't mean for her tone to come out as skeptical as it did. Leliana seemed to notice this, because a bitter smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"She was never ashamed of who she was, Inquisitor. Why she left as suddenly as she did is beyond me, but I know it was not because she no longer wanted to be a Grey Warden. She was proud of who she was, and the cause she and Alistair fought for." Leliana paused for a moment here, her brow furrowing again. "I still cannot believe she left. Poor Alistair… It broke his heart when he'd realized she'd gone. He had me spend weeks trying every contact I had to try and find her. They were very much in love, you know." She voice trailed off, her eyes housing a pain long forgotten.

Neriah touched her friend's arm reassuringly. "Don't worry, Leliana. We will find out what happened to her; even if this isn't her, perhaps they know what happened to her."

Leliana's face relaxed, and the old pain was gone. "Very good, thank you, Inquisitor. Remember, look for the pendant. You will know it when you see it. If need be, just directly ask her who she is. She never was one for beating around the bushes, so to speak. Ruled with her heart, that one." The Spymaster chuckled to herself, shaking her head, as though sharing a private joke only she knew the punchline to.

Neriah smiled at her friend, nodding, and turned around, exiting Skyhold into the unknown adventure ahead.

* * *

"Inquisitor, is something the matter?" Neriah jumped, not realizing that she had been daydreaming. Her eyes came back into focus, and she found Keeper Marethari watching her intently.

She gave the Keeper her cheesiest, fakest smile, trying to feign innocent. "Of course not! My apologies, Keeper, my mind was not here for a moment."

"Were you thinking of the elven apostate?" There was a glint in Keeper Marethari's eyes that could only be taken as wicked mockery.

Neriah felt her cheeks begin to burn, and she looked down at her hands, refusing to meet the Keeper's gaze. At this, Keeper Marethari began to laugh.

"My apologies, _da'len_, I meant no disrespect. I am only teasing you." Neriah smiled nervously, and Keeper Marethari leaned back on her heels, regarding the Inquisitor with her dark eyes. "Now, what did you wish to discuss with me, Inquisitor. I am all ears." She gestured to her pointed ears, and a small grin flitted across her face, and Neriah was felt herself smile. If this truly was the Hero of Ferelden like Leliana thought, then Neriah could see why she and the Spymaster had been so close; she seemed very easygoing.

Neriah leaned forward, trying to look confident, when in reality, she was terrified. She had no idea how to go about without one, being obvious, and two, looking like an idiot. "Let me first begin by asking: when did the Darkspawn attacks first begin?"

Keeper Marethari looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. "About three weeks ago. There was a Mage/Templar scuffle not far from here, and one of the _shem_ mages blew a hole into the mountainside." She wrinkled her nose at the memory, but Neriah could not tell if her distain was genuine or not. "After that, we've had two separate Darkspawn attacks. One a few days after the fight, and one just last week, just before your companion, Solas, found us." She was looking at Neriah now, almost expectantly.

Neriah nodded silently, all the while her mind racing, as she tried to formulate her next question. "And there haven't been any more since?"

Keeper Marethari shook her head. "None, thank the Creators. Though I fear we have not seen the last of them."

"How do you know that?" The question flew from Neriah's lips before she could stop it. Keeper Marethari fixed her with a quizzical, slightly suspicious, stare.

"_Da'len_, they are Darkspawn. They can come and go at a moment's notice. To assume that they are gone for good after a few mere weeks would be foolish." Her eyes searched Neriah's face, and she could see her suspicion growing. Neriah bit back another invasive question, as the Keeper stood up. As she rose, her pendant came loose from her doublet, and gleamed in the ember light.

Neriah had to stifle a gasp.

The pendant was a brilliant, deep, crimson. It hung to about Keeper Marethari's sternum, and Neriah could see what she was almost certain was blood swirling within the amulet's vial. It hung against the Keeper's pale skin; a stark contrast to how white she was in the dim light. It glowed softly in the dark, and Neriah felt her heart jump. This was her; this _was_ the Hero of Ferelden.

Keeper Marethari must have caught her staring, because she suddenly put the amulet back into her doublet, watching Neriah, her dark eyes narrowed.

"Is everything alright, Inquisitor?" She asked, her voice flat. Neriah felt her heart speed up. She knew; she knew and she was angry.

"I was merely noticing your amulet, Keeper. It is very beautiful. Where did you get it?"

Keeper Marethari sat back down, a drink in her hand. She offered the animal skin sack filled with water to Neriah, who took a grateful drink. "It was a gift. Now, can we return to the topic at hand?" Her voice had an edge to it, but Neriah wasn't going to dissuaded that easily.

"How long have you been Keeper of this clan?" Her questions were becoming more confident now. She almost knew for certain that this was who they thought she was.

Keeper Marethari looked irritated now, her eyes still hard. When she spoke, her voice was filled with fake warmth. "Nearly a decade now; why is this of relevance, _da'len_?"

"So, just after the Fifth Blight ended?" Neriah asked, almost sure her eyes were going to give away her building excitement.

Keeper Marethari's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Yes, I suppose it was after that time. I hadn't realized."

Neriah felt a triumphant smile cross her face. "I find it interesting that you should come to this clan after the Blight ended; around the same time the Hero of Ferelden disappeared. Was she not a Dalish Elf such as you are?"

Keeper Marethari sat back slowly on her heels, staring at Neriah. She could see the Keeper's mind racing; how her eyes darted around the room, and how her skin paled. It looked for a moment that she would try to make a run for the door, or throw Neriah out entirely, when suddenly her features relaxed. Her head fell to her chest, and her long braid fell over her shoulder. A sad smile drifted across her lips, before she looked back up at Neriah.

"How long have you known?" She asked softly, slowly removing the amulet from her doublet again, once again allowing the light of the embers to dance across it.

Neriah squared her shoulders. "We came here with a hunch. We are also here to help you, but our main lead was this."

Keeper Marethari exhaled slowly, her breath coming out in a loud _whoosh_ of air. "And who told you this hunch, pray tell? What gave it away?" She looked down at her amulet, her fingers lightly brushing the vial filled with blood.

Neriah came to sit herself next to the Keeper. "The amulet for one thing; I was told about it before I left. If you were a Grey Warden, I was told you'd be most likely wearing it; that you are not ashamed of what you are."

Keeper Marethari's head snapped up, staring at Neriah. "Who told you that?"

Neriah allowed herself a moment's pause before answering. "Leliana."

Keeper Marethari's shoulders drooped, and her face crumbled. "L-Leliana told you? Oh, by the Creators; she's alive?"

Neriah nodded, "She is the Spymaster of the Inquisition. She's the one who sent me here with the lead, along with my companion, the dwarf, Varric. He knows Merrill."

Keeper Marethari let out a soft chuckle. "Merrill… She mentioned knowing a dwarf by that name a few years back. In Kirkwall, correct?" When Neriah nodded, she sighed again. "Our Keeper was killed, of no fault of Merrill's. She was trying to help our clan; I do not blame her. When I learned of Marethari's death, it pained me. She took care of us all. I could not let her memory die along with her body."

Neriah patted her arm. "No one blames you; the important thing is we found you, and we could use your help with these Darkspawn, Keeper."

Keeper Marethari looked up at Neriah now. "Please, call me by my true name, _da'len_. My name is Lyna Mahariel."

* * *

Neriah and Lyna sat in her _aravel_, trying to come up with a plan. Lyna had determined that the sense she had of the Darkspawn was faint, but definitely there. Unfortunately, this could mean that they were either far away, or only a few within the hole itself. Due to the fact that Lyna could not determine this, it meant that Neriah and her party would need to scout into the hole themselves.

"How many have you seen up until now?" Neriah asked as they prepared to exit the _aravel_.

"About five or six," Lyna replied, as she grabbed her Keeper's staff. "Only Genlocks and Hurlocks so far, nothing more. This could be a good sign, or a terrible one. They usually send those as scouts before a larger attack. However, we have seen no Emissaries or Alphas, which is a _very_ good sign. That could mean they are just stragglers." She moved to open the flap of her tent. "But the sense is still there, which is why I have not moved from this spot. It is my duty as a Grey Warden to help those against the Darkspawn, especially if it is my clan that is in danger."

Before coming up with a more concrete plan, Lyna had told Neriah of her stories, and why she had left Denerim all those years ago on the eve of King Alistair's coronation. Because she was an elf, and Dalish no less, there had been no way that she and Alistair could wed, as it would cause an immense amount of controversy among the courts of Ferelden. They wouldn't be able to have a baby either, seeing as they were both infected with the taint, and it could pass along to their child, or at least that had been what Alistair had feared. He had still loved Lyna immensely, and she him, but they both knew that it wouldn't be possible, even with people like Anora out of the picture permanently. Lyna had felt it was the best choice to leave Ferelden for a while, and the night of Alistair's coronation, she slipped away into the darkness, never to be seen or heard from again.

Lyna had lived in the Wilds on her own for some time, trying in vain to find Morrigan, who had also disappeared. After no success, she learned of the death of her former Keeper, Marethari, through a mutual friend of her old clan-mate, Merrill. It had pained her greatly to know that her Keeper, a mother to her whole clan, was dead, and opted to take on her name for herself, so that that way no one would suspect her of being the Hero of Ferelden. She did not pretend to be the Keeper herself, but had used her name, as homage to her fallen friend. She had stumbled across a clan in need of a Keeper, and with her distinct knowledge of authority, and survival skills, as well as healing magics taught to her by the late Keeper Marethari, and Wynne, a mage she had known during the Blight, she had been named Keeper of that clan.

Lyna had wrestled with herself for years after leaving her friends behind as she had, especially Alistair. She had loved him with all her heart, and it gladdened her to know that he was still alive and ruling fairly, as Neriah had mentioned. She asked about everyone Lyna knew, from Leliana to Morrigan, and even Dagna, the dwarven girl Lyna had helped learn to become an Arcanist, by telling The Circle of Magi that she wanted to learn. She even asked about Cullen, whom she had met briefly upon saving his life back in The Circle. She seemed calmer knowing that most of her friends were alive and well; the others Neriah did not know, and was unable to give her peace of mind regarding them.

"I should really visit Skyhold," Lyna mused as they exited the tent, "Leliana would kill me if she found out I didn't come and visit." She grinned, and Neriah could see she seemed much more relaxed, having dropped her "Keeper-talk", and segued into a more casual way of speaking. "I have a lot of apologizing to do, and a lot of bribery, as well. I am glad you found me, Inquisitor, and I would be happy to help you, but I would prefer if you did not spread the word of my existence just yet. I will speak with Leliana when I can, and Morrigan. Perhaps even Alistair; perhaps." Her eyebrows knitted at the last comment, and Neriah could tell she was perhaps rethinking that last part. "I owe them that much. However, the world has no need of me at the moment; if they ever do, I will return, as I should have during Corypheus's tyranny." She looked guilty now, but shook it off with a small smile. "Come, let us head to the hole in the mountain. The sooner we deal with this, the better; and the sooner we can share more stories." She winked at Neriah, who smiled. Lyna seemed so much brighter now; her secrets had weighed her down considerably over the years, Neriah could see that.

They made their way across the camp to where Neriah's companions were waiting for them. As they walked up, Neriah could see Solas watching her, and she looked anywhere but at him. Lyna seemed to notice this, and gently tapped Neriah's shoulder.

"He is watching you again, _da'len_. He has been since you arrived." Her smile was knowing, and Neriah scowled slightly.

"He can watch all he likes, it changes nothing." Her words were bitterer than she had intended, but did not elaborate on them. Lyna took this as her queue to drop the topic, and obliged. They approached the group, and Lyna addressed them.

"Inquisition, at your readiness, we will depart for the site of the battle. Be ready, we do not know what we will encounter there." They nodded, and gathered their things together, before setting out into the snowy forest.

* * *

"Sera and I were talking about you before we left Skyhold, Solas." Blackwall's voice broke the silence as the group trudged through the snow to find the destruction site. "We need you to settle a question for us." Neriah didn't need to look back to know Blackwall had a toothy grin on his face, and behind her she heard the elven mage sigh. Neriah was a little glad that her companions were still trying to treat Solas as relatively normally as possible, despite what had happened. She wondered if it was for her benefit above all else.

"Sera's involved?" Solas sounded exasperated. "So, this question will be offensive." It was more of a statement than a question.

Neriah glanced over her shoulder, and saw Blackwall had a shit-eating grin on his face. He refused to make eye contact with her, and continued to harass Solas. "Yes, probably. Sorry." He wasn't sorry. "You make friends with Spirits in the Fade? So, um, are there any that are more than just friends? If you know what I mean." Neriah felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, and she swore she could hear the magic swirling around Solas from behind her. She turned to see the elf was staring at Blackwall with a look of shock, embarrassment, and irritation on his face.

"Oh for the – really?" Solas spluttered, and Neriah had to stifle a laugh. She had always enjoyed seeing him flustered. He made him appear more like a person. Next to her, Varric and Iron Bull started snickering, and Dorian tried and failed to supress a chuckle. Cole just looked confused.

Blackwall threw his hands up in mock defense, still grinning. "Look, it's a natural thing to be curious about!" His grin made Solas become more annoyed.

"For a twelve year old!" Solas scoffed, looking indignant. Neriah pursed her lips to keep from smiling. Ahead of her, she could see Lyna softly laughing to herself.

"It's a simple "yes" or "no" question, Solas," Blackwall sounded like he was about to burst out laughing himself.

Solas looked like he wanted to smite the warrior right then and there. "Nothing about the Fade, or Spirits, is simple." His jaw clenched and unclenched, and he reminded Neriah of an angry animal. "Especially not that."

Blackwall cackled now, causing the others to titter nervously, and Iron Bull to stuff his fist in his mouth to stop a loud guffaw. "Aha! So you _do_ have experience in these matters?"

Solas turned bright red, right to the tips of his pointed ears. He caught Neriah watching them, and looked anywhere but at her. "I did not say that."

Blackwall clapped the mage on his back, causing Solas to flinch away from him. "Don't panic, it'll be our little secret, eh?" He winked down at Solas, who looked both livid and mortified.

He threw the warrior's arm off of him and stormed to the head of the group, while muttering, "_Ass_," under his breath.

Iron Bull and Varric erupted in laughter, while Cole was mumbling, "I don't understand, Solas knows he likes Spirits. Why are they laughing?" And Dorian shook his head, not even bothering to explain it to the boy.

"Ha ha! Now who's twelve?" Blackwall called after him, before hurrying up to the front of the group. "Come now, Solas, I was just teasing!" Solas refused to speak to him after that.

"Enough bickering, you two, we have arrived." Lyna called back to them, but Neriah could hear the amusement in her voice. They halted, and looked up at the mountainside.

"I'm starting to think Leliana needs to revisit what she thinks a barn is." Neriah said, gaping at the huge hole. It was about twice the size of Herald's Rest Tavern, and all around the edges there were scorch marks. "One mage did all this?"

"Unlikely," Lyna replied. "They most likely combined their magic to kill the Templars, but failed and hit the mountain instead, causing this."

Neriah carefully approached the hole, and looked in. In the dark light of the tunnel, she could see dim firelight down below. That must have been the Thaig Leliana mentioned. It didn't look too far down, which would explain how the Darkspawn got out. She turned back to look at her friends. "Alright, let's go everyone, and be on your guard. We don't know what we'll be facing down there."

Lyna moved forward, "I'm coming with you."

Neriah turned back to her, her face gentle. "Absolutely not, Keeper." She continued to call Lyna "Keeper" so that the other elves in her clan did not know the truth. Lyna would tell them when she as ready. "You clan needs you; if something were to happen to you down there, I wouldn't forgive myself. Not to mention Leliana would kill me."

Lyna stared at the younger elf defiantly. "Neriah, it is my _duty_ to protect against the Darkspawn."

"And you _are_, by staying with your people. We have plenty in our group; we are all skilled fighters. Anything the Darkspawn dish out we can handle, I promise." Neriah squeezed her arm. "We are going in to scout, and find a way to seal it off. We are not going in to fight every Darkspawn in the Deeproads." Lyna looked a little angry, but she knew Neriah was right. Her survival was more vital than something like this. "If we have not returned within twenty-four hours, then send some scouts in after us."

"I will come find you myself," Lyna said fiercely, "I will not let you die to these creatures, Inquisitor. It is my duty; it is who I am." She took a breath. "But, I will respect your wishes; I trust you know what you are doing. I will keep scouts positioned at the entrance to the tunnel, and send them in should things go wrong." Neriah nodded, and they saluted each other in their elven fashion, before Neriah turned away from her, and followed her friends into the Deeproads.

* * *

It was so dark down there, Neriah could barely see. She squinted in the darkness, trying to make out any shapes that looked like they were moving. She nearly lost her footing on a rock that caved out beneath her.

"Be careful," she called back to her companions. "These rocks are very unstable, any sudden movement could bring the whole Thaig down. We need to tread carefully."

"Speak for yourself," Iron Bull grunted from below her, narrowly missing falling into the darkness. "I am way too fucking huge for this. These Thaigs were made for little people, not Qunari."

"Who are you calling "little"?" Varric huffed from somewhere to Neriah's left.

They made it to the base of the rocky cliff, and came out into the Thaig. It looked ancient, much older than any Thaig Neriah had been in before. The torches were dimly lit, and it was incredibly warm, probably because of the magma flowing slowly nearby. It casted light and shadows all around them, dancing off the vaulted, stone ceilings. Dwarven architecture was so odd, Neriah mused. She had taken only a few steps into the darkened Thaig when she heard it: the growl, followed by a piercing cry.

_Darkspawn_.

She heard them before she saw them, but it was too late, and they were upon them. It was only a few Genlock and Hurlock, thank the Creators, but it was _still _Darkspawn. The came out of the darkness, brandishing jagged, unrefined weaponry, and all the while piercing the silence with their cries.

"Darkspawn!" Neriah cried, drawing her staff, "Look alive!" Her friends sprang into action. She and Solas casted barriers as quickly as they could, trying to protect their friends, and Dorian casted a spell which gave Blackwall and Iron Bull flames to their weapons. Varric got Bianca ready, and Cole vanished and reappeared behind the Darkspawn, stabbing one in the back with his dagger.

Neriah threw electricity bolt after electricity bolt at the oncoming creatures, and they froze in their tracks, their eyes bugging out of their heads as the lightning surged through their bodies. A few fell, but more came. Iron Bull caved in the chest of one with the Warhammer, and Blackwall lobbed the head off another with his sword. One was peppered with arrows, and fell screaming to the ground. Beside her, Solas used his Ice Magic cause one to freeze in its tracks, and Dorian blew it up with fire.

One particularly huge Hurlock appeared, and Neriah realized that it was an Alpha. It roared, and drew its huge weapon, preparing to charge them down. She backed up, fear prickling through her. How many more where there down here?

"I've got it!" Dorian yelled, throwing a huge blast of fire at the Alpha. It lit up, and roared in agony, still trying to rush them. Dorian hit it again, and again. It was slowing it down, as its flesh began to melt and burn. The smell was choking, and Neriah tried to fight the urge to vomit. She decided to help her friend. At the last second, she threw a bolt of lightning into Dorian's fire ball, the two combined, and hit the Alpha.

The explosion was nearly deafening.

The Alpha screamed, and exploded into thousands of chunks of charred meat. The group stopped and took a breath, staring at the wreckage around them.

"Well," Dorian said, with an air of smugness. "That was fun."

Neriah was about to reply, when she heard a low rumble. It was when she felt a stone hit her shoulder that she realized what was happening. She looked up, and leapt to the side, a huge chunk of rock narrowly missing her. The tunnel was caving in.

"CAVE IN!" Iron Bull roared, "RUN!"

Everything happened at once. Rocks began to crumble from the ceiling, and the roar was getting louder, to the point that Neriah could hear nothing more but the sound of the rock falling, and the pounding of her own heart.

The last thing she heard was someone yell, "Neriah, _get down!_" Before the tunnel came down, and she knew no more.

* * *

**A/N: OH, CLIFF HANGER. Terrible cliff hanger. I'm terrible; I'm so sorry, I had to. I could have ended this chapter earlier, but I felt that this was a better place to end it. Silly mages, making a bomb go off in an old Thaig – that never ends well. Hope you all enjoyed! I hope the parts with Lyna weren't too rushed. Once our heroes get themselves out of this jam, it'll be explained better. Stick around!**


	6. Alas Arla

**A/N: The title of this chapter essentially means "Home of Dirt", or "Home of Earth". I figured since our heroes were just buried by rubble and stuff, it would make sense that a few of them might be stuck there for a while. Might as well set up camp! Tee hee.**

* * *

_Chapter Six:_

_Alas Arla_

There was no sound; the world seemed to have fallen silent. The only noise was the distant crumbling of small rocks, bouncing down over the huge boulders, and hitting the floor of the Thaig. The thick dust was settling now, adding to the perpetual silence of it all. It was so dark, the only light coming from the magma flowing nearby the cave in.

Neriah drifted in and out of consciousness. Her head was pounding, and she was distantly aware of a voice, calling her out name. They sounded muffled, as though they were trying to speak to her form underwater, or under bedding. Her mind was fuzzy, and everything hurt. Suddenly, her lungs expanded immensely, and she felt herself gasping for air.

A cough ripped through her body, and her eyes flew opened as she found herself laying on the stone floor of the Thaig, sputtering. She rolled over, still coughing, trying to make sense of everything. She touched the side of her head, and when she brought her fingers back, the pale digits had dribbles of blood on them. She groaned inward, and outwardly, blinking her eyes against the sudden darkness. She looked around, coughed again, and dust blew up around her. She struggled to get to her feet, her body swaying slightly, her head still pounding.

"Neriah!" Someone cried out, and she turned. Solas was getting to his feet nearby her, a deep cut along his cheek, and his robes covered in dust. He struggled up, and hurried over to her, taking her face in his hands. She was too dazed to even try to push him away.

"You're hurt," his voice was flat, but his eyes held concern, "Here, let me. Hold still." She didn't even answer, as the apostate slowly let magic flow from his fingers, and within a few moments, the cut on the side of her head had healed, and her headache began to ebb away. He then instructed her to lift her arms, as he inspected the rest of her to make sure there were no other injuries.

After Solas was satisfied with his handy work, he quickly used his magic on his own face, and the cut on his cheek healed as well. He turned and looked behind Neriah, his eyes widening in fear and shock. Neriah turned slowly to follow his gaze, and she felt her heart constrict.

The way back out of the Thaig was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a pile of stone and boulders up to the ceiling, blocking out any source of light that led back to the surface. Neriah could see the scorch marks from where the explosion she and Dorian had caused.

There was no sign of the others.

Fear gripped her heart. No; they _had _to be alright. If something had happened to them, she would never forgive herself. She tore forwards towards the huge cave in, but Solas pulled her back, stopping her from going any farther.

"Wait, _lethallan_! The rock is still very unstable. If you are to move it, it could only cave in further, and we will likely perish." She stared at him, her eyes housing contempt, fear, and anguish.

"But, the others…" Her voice trailed off as she stared at the huge mess before them. Suddenly a voice cut through the darkness, nearly giving Neriah a heart attack.

"Inquisitor, are you there? Can you hear me?" It was Varric. Relief rushed through Neriah so forcefully that it left her momentarily lightheaded. They were alright; at least, she hoped that they all were.

She rushed forwards again, shaking Solas's warning hand off her shoulder. "Varric, is that you? I can hear you! Is everyone alright?" She looked back up at the wall blocking them. "I think Solas and I are trapped; can you see a way out?"

There was moment's pause before Varric replied, "Everyone is fine, only a few minor injuries here." Another pause, and Neriah thought she heard mumbling. "It doesn't look like there's a way out at right now; do you want Dorian to try and move the rocks with magic?"

"No!" Solas yelled out before Neriah could stop him. "Magic is what caused this; the rocks are too unstable. It could bring the rest of the Thaig down, and kill the Inquisitor and I in the process!"

More mumbling, "Alright, fine!" Varric yelled back, "Neriah, what should we do? It doesn't look like there's a way out right now."

Neriah felt terrified; she felt like a little girl again. She had absolutely no idea what to do. She took a moment to compose herself, and swallow her fears before responding.

"Go back to the surface; get Lyna. Tell her what happened. See if she can send a few scouts to help dig us out. But be _careful_! Solas is right, the rocks are very unstable down here; any sudden movement could bring it call down." She felt a cold sweat start to form on her body. "In the meantime, Solas and I will scout ahead, and see if we can find where the Darkspawn are coming out, and seal it off."

"You got it, Neriah! Iron Bull and Blackwall are going to stay here and try to get a head start on digging the two of you out. I'll take Dorian and the kid back to camp and see if we can get help."

"Don't go too far!" Dorian chided them from the other side of the stone wall. "We should have you out in a few hours if we're lucky, so don't wander off! If you can't find anything come straight back!"

Neriah nodded, knowing they couldn't see her. She quickly answered, "Alright, can do! Keep an eye out for stray Darkspawn on your way back, and good luck!"

"Good luck to you too, Inquisitor!" Then the silence was back, and Neriah was left standing in the dim light of their prison with Solas. That was when the reality of the situation hit her. She was trapped on the wrong side of a cave in, in the Deeproads, with the man who broke her heart. She growled in frustration, kneading her palms into her forehead.

"Dread Wolf take me," she moaned into her hands. Behind her, she heard Solas shift.

"What was that, Inquisitor?" He asked. She turned and saw there was a faint blush creeping up his cheeks and ears. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"It's a saying; a _Dalish_ saying. I don't expect you to understand." She strode passed him, and he looked slightly dejected. "Come on, let's see how far this goes." He nodded mutely, and followed her into the darkness.

* * *

It felt like they had been walking for ever. The rest of the Thaig looked the same to Neriah; all the stone walls looked identical, and the path they walked along hadn't changed in what felt like an eternity. They passed what appeared to be a few abandoned Darkspawn camps, but found no traces of any more of the creatures. They had been walking in silence the entire time, and Neriah refused to look at Solas, lest her eyes betray her. She had to admit, despite how angry she had been at him before, and how much her heart had hurt, she was strangely glad that he was back, even if he still wouldn't tell her why he had left to begin with. Still, she wasn't too thrilled about be trapped alone with him in the Deeproads. Sure, it gave her a chance to heckle him about why he left, but she felt that those efforts may be in vain. He hadn't wanted to tell her anything when he'd left her the first time, and she felt that this wouldn't change anything.

She had been so preoccupied with her thoughts, that when Solas grabbed her shoulder, she screamed and leapt backwards.

Which turned out to be a very good thing.

Once she had caught her breath, given Solas and withering looking, and straightened herself out, she looked ahead of them. Solas had gestured before, and she turned her attention to the front. What she saw made her breath catch in her throat.

They were standing in the entrance to what looked like a _huge_ ravine, and the cliff they stood at was perhaps hundreds of feet down; _straight_ down. Had Solas not grabbed her shoulder, Neriah may have fallen.

She inched forward, despite a verbal grunt of protest from Solas, and looked over the edge, while gripping a nearby rock with a white knuckle grasp. "It just… Keeps going." She said softly, looking down. She couldn't even see the bottom, and there was no glow down there, which was a good sign. That meant there were no camps down there, and it looked like there was no way up either.

"Well, this explains why we did not see any Ogres." Solas said thoughtfully. "They would not be able to climb such a cliff face; it is far too steep."

Neriah nodded, turning away from the edge. "I guess Lyna was right; her faint sense of them was well-placed. There were only a few, and I think we already took care of them all." Solas nodded, and Neriah began to walk away from the edge. "We should get back to the cave-in; we'll want to be there when the other's get through." They hurried back through the tunnels, leaving the huge, gaping maw of the ravine behind.

* * *

"We should perhaps think about starting a fire," Solas's voice broke through the silence of the Thaig. "We have seen no other Darkspawn, I feel we are safe for the moment." He picked up his staff, pointing at the ground, where they had salvaged some wood from one of the abandoned Darkspawn camps. Green Veil-Fire poured out of it, making small, sea green flames on the ground.

Neriah's pale face reflected the green flames, and they danced around the two elves. She was silent; she had barely spoken two words to Solas since they returned to the cave-in. Part of her was trying to get the nerve to say something to him. This might be her only chance to get him to confess as to why he left; as to what he had felt when Cole had accused him of still loving her; of what all the looks and small smiles meant. How could he act so calm now? How could he act like nothing had happened; just come back and try to carry on as though they had never shared such strong feelings. She could feel the anger starting to boil over, and she was having a hard time controlling it.

"I have not heard movement from our side, or theirs, but we should be out of danger soon, _lethallan_." Solas moved to sit down again, when he paused, turning back to look at Neriah. "Did you say something?"

Neriah raised her eyes to look at him, and their pale grey had turned stormy. She was so tired of feeling various different emotions towards this elf; she was tired of wondering if she still loved him, and why he had left. She was tired of being both scared and angry at the same time, and even a little excited. Now, she was just angry; she had changed her mind, if they were going to be stuck here, he owed her an explanation.

"I said you lost the right to call me what when you left," Her voice quivered. She was so terrified of making him angry, and yet she felt justified having said it. The hurt in his eyes made her feel triumphant, if not a little guilty.

He sat down slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. He looked so tired, sitting there bathed in green flames, and he also looked sad. "I am sorry, _leth –_ … Neriah. " His eyes bore into hers. "Now that we have a moment alone, I want you to know that I never meant to hurt you in the way I did. I wanted to tell you everything, but the circumstances changed."

"So tell me now," Her voice was emotionless, but her eyes were pleading. She felt tears well in her eyes, but she blinked them back quickly, not wanting him to see her so vulnerable. He did see, however, and she saw his face fall even farther. "Please, Solas. Tell me why you left; tell me why you came back so suddenly. What was _so_ important that you couldn't even say goodbye?" She felt anger flare inside her, and her voice became stronger. She got to her feet, facing him, her fists clenched. All the unresolved anger and sadness she had felt was spilling out now that they were alone, something she had been terrified would happen; something she had wanted to avoid at all costs. "Do you have _any _idea of how long I looked for you? How much it killed me to know that you were gone? That I might never see you again!" She yelled the last part, her voice beginning to shake again. She had to sit back down.

Solas stared up at her, his gaze filled with pain. "I want to tell you, Neriah, but I can't." He looked down, and she wanted to grab his face and force him to look at her. "It is far more complicated than you realize."

"All this, over a stupid relic? Or an _orb_?" Neriah stared at him, and Solas's head snapped up. "Solas, I know you're upset about losing the orb, but to just run away like that… It seemed like you were running away from something much larger." She tried to calm herself; the last thing she wanted to do was drive him away again. She _had_ to know why he left, and yelling at him was not going to help. She took a few deep breaths, before coming to sit across from him. Her mind was screaming at her not to do it, that it wasn't fair to her. She had a right to be angry.

"You have every right to hate me, if you do." Solas whispered, his eyes never leaving her face.

The sound of his broken voice nearly made her hug him, but she resisted. She had to be firm if she were to get him to confess. "I do not hate you, Solas; I felt quite the opposite, in fact, and you knew that. I even…" She paused, looking at him, "I think part of me still does." She sat back on her heels, looking at her former lover. "I just… How can you act so calm and reserved about all this? You're acting like nothing happened between us, like I didn't matter; like none of it mattered." Solas's face went from sadness to shock so quickly Neriah wondered if she blinked.

"Like _none of it mattered?_" He asked incredulously, staring at her. "Neriah, what I felt for you was _real_. What we had was _real_."

Neriah leaned away from him, her face calm, but her eyes sad. "Felt? Had?" Her voice broke, and she turned away. She was deluding herself; Solas's return hadn't meant what she had secretly hoped. Despite how angry she had been at him, how much it had hurt, she hadn't been able to close her heart. It hurt so much to see him again because she still cared for him, and she knew that. He infuriated her; he excited her. He had been her mentor during their time together, teaching her about the Fade, Spirits, and Demons. He had respected her Dalish culture, despite feeling detached from all elves. He had been the first person she had felt a real connection to in a long time, and then he had left. She sighed inwardly; she would let him keep his secrets. If he didn't want to share with her, perhaps the feelings he had had for her were not as strong as she had thought. Or, perhaps, it really was too complicated to explain, and perhaps she would have to accept that. He was back, and he was safe. Perhaps that was all she would get, and perhaps it would turn out that that was all she needed. It gave her a small sense of peace, for the first time in months.

"Neriah," Solas's voice was quiet behind her. "Tell me what I can do to help this pain stop. Please." His voice was pleading, and she turned back slowly to look at him.

"Help me stop loving you." She surprised herself by even saying it, but she didn't care anymore. If for whatever reason things came to worse, she wanted Solas to know she still loved him, perhaps to please herself, perhaps to make him understand how much he had hurt her. She turned away from him again.

Behind her, she felt a pause, and then heard Solas shift, and stand up. She figured he was going to tend to the fire, or stretch, or something. What he actually did caught her off guard, and sent feelings like lightning exploding through her body. He grabbed her arm, whirling her around to face him. They stood like that for a moment, staring at each other. She felt her heard beginning to race.

Solas looked just as confused as she did, his eyes searching her face, and his mouth slightly hanging open. It looked like he wanted to say something, but couldn't find the right words.

Instead, he kissed her.

The feeling of his lips on hers again sent wave after wave of emotion shooting through her like fire. His hands gripped her upper arms, and he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. She felt his tongue slowly slip into her mouth, and hers react without her permission. Upon contact of their tongues, Solas groaned into her mouth, and she felt her limbs turn to lead. She melted into his kiss, her body pressing against his, for a moment forgetting who she was, and where they were.

Just as soon as the kiss happened, it was over. Solas broke away from her, his eyes wide, and a look of shock and embarrassment on his face. "I – I am sorry, Neriah. I do not know what came over me. I shouldn't have done that." He began to let go of her, "I am so sorry." His voice was soft. "For everything. I –," a pause; he looked at her now, his face both terrified, and yet calm. "I'm sorry." It seemed like he wanted to say something more, but couldn't bring himself to.

She stared at him in surprise, her mind still reeling from his kiss, her heart beating like a drum in her chest. She didn't know how to respond to him, and she felt a flush creeping up her cheeks. Part of her wanted to slap him for kissing her, and the other part wanted to kiss him again. How dare that pointy-eared bastard toy with her like this!

She was about to say something that she should would probably regret later on, when suddenly the rocks above them began to shift. Neriah leapt away from the caved in wall, and she and Solas stared in fear and awe as an opening opened up at the top of the mess of rocks, and a huge, horned head appeared.

"Hey, Boss!" Iron Bull grinned down at them, "Wanna come back to the surface? Or have you two made a little love-nest down there?" Neriah groaned and buried her face in her hands, and Solas looked away, his face turning pink.

"We're coming up, Bull!" Neriah called back once she recovered from her embarrassment. "Is it safe to get through?" The Qunari nodded, and Neriah began to slowly climb back towards the top, nearly losing her footing here and there. She felt Solas gently push her foot up and few times to keep her from falling, and she threw him an annoyed look each time, trying to hide the butterflies growing in her stomach.

They broke the surface of the rocks not too long after, and went tumbling down back into the Thaig. Neriah could see sunlight glimmering above them and turned to Iron Bull, her eyes grateful.

"Thanks for digging us out, Bull. I hope it wasn't took much trouble?" The leader of the Chargers grinned down at her.

"Naw, Boss, we got you out in record time! Lyna sent a few scouts back, and we all managed to get a decent path up the pile, and through the roof with only a few injuries. Right Blackwall?" He grinned at the warrior, who was nursing what looked like a huge bruise on his head. Neriah didn't even ask; she didn't want to know what the Qunari had done. She was just grateful to be back on the surface; relatively speaking.

The climbed back up through the Thaig, and out of the hole in the mountainside. As they were climbing out, they were greeted by Dorian, Varric and Cole, all of whom looked relieved.

"There you two are!" Varric rushed up, a huge grin on his face. "We were so worried." He hugged Neriah around the middle, and she smiled down at her friend. He pulled back, looking up at her. "So, what happened while you two were in the Deeproads?"

Neriah felt a blush creeping up her cheeks, and she glanced sideways at Solas, who refused to meet her gaze. She could see his ears beginning to turn red, as they both recalled what had just happened. Sometime during their internal monologues, Cole popped up between them. He looked from one to the other.

"The feelings are resolved," was all he said, a small smile on his face. Neriah almost tackled him to shut him up. Unresolved feelings her _foot!_

"What's that, kid?" Varric asked, a tone of amusement in his voice.

"What Cole means to say is that Neriah and I found no more Darkspawn in the Thaig," Solas said evenly, his blush not impacting his ability to speak. "We came across a ravine, which was nearly straight down; nothing could climb back up. Thanks to the cave in within the Thaig, there should be no more Darkspawn coming through."

"Good work, Chuckles." Varric slapped Solas on the back, causing the elf to give him a strained smile. "I hope you took good care of our Lady Inquisitor while you two were trapped down there!" He winked at Neriah, and she wanted to die.

"Neriah!" A voice broke through the forest, and someone threw themselves at Neriah. It was Lyna, and she had Neriah in a vice-grip hug. "I was so worried! We heard the explosion, and when Varric came back without you I feared the worst! Are you alright?"

Neriah pried the elven woman's arms off of her with great effort. "We're fine, Lyna, don't worry. The Darkspawn are dead, and no more will come through. Thankfully, the cave-in sealed their way out."

Lyna's face broke out in a huge smile, "Thank the Creators! Thank you, Neriah, and thank you to your Inquisition!" She added, smiling at the rest of the group. "My clan is in your debt." She gestured back towards the camp, "Come, let us return to camp and get you call something to eat."

* * *

The group spent the night with the Dalish Camp, regaining their strength before they set out back to Skyhold the following morning. Neriah relished in her elven culture for the evening, chatting with members of the clan, while her companions were treated with elven food and stories, told by both the clan, and Varric, who never passed up an opportunity to tell a good tale. Solas was busy having a lengthy conversation with Lyna, about what Neriah could not tell. They were deep in conversation for most of the evening. Solas didn't say one word to her when they reached camp again, probably because she immediately busied herself with helping the members of the clan prepare food and drink, trying her best to avoid him at all costs. Her heart was still fluttering from the kiss they shared. Why had he done it? Was it to prove a point? She had no idea.

The following morning before they left, Lyna stopped Neriah to thank her again. She hugged her tightly, promising to send word to Leliana of her existence as soon as she could. Neriah promised she would tell Leliana that Lyna was alive and well, in case she couldn't contact her straight away. Just as she was about to leave, Lyna stopped her again.

"A word, _da'len_. It is about your elven companion, Solas."

Neriah bristled, 'What about him?"

Lyna smiled, "He evidently cares for you, _lethallan_. I can see it. He looks at you the same way Alistair looked at me all those years ago." Her eyes looked sad for a moment, but it passed. "I do not know what happened between you two to cause a rift, but I can sense it. Whatever happened, it is always best to put these things behind is. Life in this world is too short to hold onto anger, Neriah." Neriah chewed her lip, trying to bite back a contemptuous retort. Lyna placed her hands on her shoulders. "Remember, Neriah: to err makes us mortal; but to forgive, that is an almost God-like ability, wouldn't you say?" She winked at Neriah, and let her go, before saluting her, and turning back to her camp.

Neriah watched her go, wondering what the hell she had meant by that. She turned to look back at her group of friends, and saw Solas was indeed watching her again. Their gaze held for a moment, and he looked away quickly, beginning the trek back to Skyhold. Neriah watched him for a moment, her mind and heart still racing, before quickly hurrying after her friends.

* * *

**A/N: WOOOOOOOOO. Sorry not sorry. I had to; it felt like the best time to make Solas do something stupid – like kiss his old flame when she's mad at him. Classic dummy move. Stupid egg-head. What will Neriah do next? Will Solas tell her the truth? Damn him always looking like he wants to say something, and then not. This was fun to write. I'm sorry if it felt a little rushed; I was so excited to do this part I barfed it out in two hours. Stayed tuned for more angst, fluff, and soon smut!**


	7. Lathbora Viran

**A/N: H'okay! First let me say thank-you to all those who have been fav'ing and following my story for the past week! I've haven't written this much in so long, and it feels so great! 80 pages so far in a Word Doc… Wow. Also, thank-you to my lovely reviewers! All three of you! Y'all give me inspiration to actually finish this thing. I hope you're all enjoying it! **

**The title of this Chapter means "the path to a place of lost love"; it means longing for a thing one can never really know. (Thank you, Dragon Age Wikia…) Enjoy!**

* * *

_Chapter Seven:_

_Lathbora Viran_

"So… You found her?" Leliana's voice was barely above a whisper. She and Neriah were hidden away in the upper most part of Skyhold's rotunda, the sounds of her ravens screeching in the rafters. The rest of the rotunda was all but empty, except for the sounds of Dorian bickering with Mother Giselle over one thing or another. Mother Giselle was a kind hearted woman, but she had not taken too kindly to the Tevinter.

Neriah nodded, "I did; you were right, she was wearing her amulet. She showed us where the Darkspawn were coming from, and we sealed them away." Neriah played with the laces of her boots, her knees hugged to her chest as she sat curled up in the huge wooden chair Leliana had provided for her friend. "She promised to send word as soon as she could, but told me to tell you first, just in case it took her a little longer than she wanted. She's in the process of moving her clan south now, out of the Frostback Mountains."

Leliana's pale face was calm, and her mouth was set in a thin, straight line. "She does not wish to be found; I see." She stood, turning away from Neriah. She leaned over the edge of the rail of the rotunda, her shoulders hunched, and her hands gripping the railing. "I had hoped she would come back with you, but I understand why she felt she needed to stay away. The world is not ready to learn she is alive; if they did, they would surely reprimand her, or worse." She turned back to look at Neriah, a small, pained smile on her face. "Thank you for this, Inquisitor. I appreciate your help."

"She said if we are in need of her help, she will come without question." Neriah said, standing as well, and placing a comforting hand on Leliana's shoulder. "I don't know how we would reach her, but those were her words. She may yet stay within reach of Skyhold, just in case." Truthfully, Neriah didn't know what Lyna's plans were, but she felt that the elf would be true to her word, and if they required her assistance, she would arrive, ready to fight at a moment's notice.

She bid Leliana goodbye, and began to walk down the stairs to exit the rotunda. They had returned to Skyhold a day before, and wanted to settle in before discussing what had happened. She hadn't said one work to Solas when they had returned. For a moment she thought he was trying to get her attention when they entered Skyhold, but she had made for her quarters like a bat out of the void, and didn't speak to anyone for the rest of the evening. Cole had popped up once during that time, asking her if she was alright, and she had politely refused to discuss it, which the Spirit Boy accepted, and disappeared again.

Her mind had been reeling all night; who the Hell did Solas think he was? What right did he have just doing that, without so much as a warning? Granted, if he _had_ given her a warning, would she have stopped him? The thought caused her so much frustration and anxiety, she had thrown her pillow across the room like a child, and sat there, grumbling to herself on her bed. Within the Fade that night, she was pursued by a Desire Demon, who desperately wanted her attention, and even morphed into Solas at one point, causing her to start screaming at it to go away until it vanished, probably just as terrified of her as she was of it.

She found herself at the bottom of the stairs now, facing the door that led out of the rotunda. She kept herself partially hidden behind the wall, peering into the rotunda's bottom floor like a shadow. When she had come up to see Leliana, Solas had been nowhere to be found. His things were still there, which meant he hadn't left Skyhold, but he wasn't in his quarters. It didn't look as though he was back now, either, and Neriah was grateful for that. She didn't really want to run into him at the moment. Well, alright, _part _of her did, since she was still wanting to harass him about what the hell had happened in the Deeproads. As she peered around the corner, she didn't notice the shadows shifting behind her.

"Are you looking for something, Inquisitor?" Came a chuckle from behind her, nearly causing her to jump out of her skin in terror.

She whipped around, and found Solas leaning on the wall behind her, and smirk tugging at his mouth. "_Dammit_, Solas!" She squawked, swatting at him in anger, which he dodged easily. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!" She glared at him, wondering how long he'd been standing there like an ass, watching her peer around like a fool.

"Was there something you needed?" He asked, noticeably attempting to curb his smirk. It only made her more irritated.

"No," she huffed, stomping passed him towards the door that led to the Main Hall, and flung it open in her annoyance; it banged loudly on the stone wall outside. Behind her she heard him chuckle lightly, and it sent a wave of anger through her. She turned around. She was going to give this smug arse a piece of her mind.

She pulled the door closed again, and it shut with a _bang_. Solas looked up from his desk, where he had wandered to after she had stomped away. "Is something the matter, Neriah?" He was trying to look innocent, but she wasn't having any of it.

"We need to talk," her voice was grating from her obvious anger, and Solas could tell. He straightened, watching her with apprehension and… Was that amusement? She tried to ignore it, and strode over to the desk, placing her hands on it. "We need to discuss what happened in the Deeproads, Solas."

He regarded her with interest, before exhaling slowly. "As much as I would prefer to not speak of it, as it was an error of my own doing, if you wish to discuss it, we can. But not here."

Neriah narrowed her eyes. "Not here?" Was he trying to make excuses so they wouldn't have to talk about it?

His smirk was back again, "Indeed; I would prefer if we could find a place more private to talk; one where we do not have eavesdropping Tevinter mages." Without breaking eye contact with her, be pointed upwards, and Neriah followed his finger until she was looking up at the second floor of the rotunda, whereupon she saw Dorian's head quickly snap back out of view. The man had clearly been listening to their conversation. Neriah felt her eye begin to twitch again.

"Dorian!" She barked, "Stop eavesdropping! This is private!"

"Not anymore!" Came Dorian's somewhat too delighted reply, "Please, Inquisitor, do not cease your discussion on my account!" Dorian's head reappeared, and he had a toothy grin on his face. Neriah ground her teeth, scowling up at her friend, who immediately retreated again.

She turned her focus back to Solas, who wasn't even trying to hide his smirk anymore. She wanted to punch that smile right off his face. "Fine; if not here, then where do you suggest? Because we _are_ going to talk about this." Her voice slid into a snarl at the end of that sentence, clearly showing her irritation.

Solas pondered her demand for a moment before replying. "Your quarters, perhaps? No one will bother us there."

She clenched her teeth so hard it was a wonder none of them shattered. Oh _hell_ no. No way in all of Thedas was she going to be alone in her chambers with Solas; not after what happened in the Deeproads. It wasn't that she was afraid he would try anything; it was more so getting to the point that she was afraid she would try something. As much as he had angered her with his little looks, the smiles and gestures, the coming back out of the blue, and the kiss, it had all set a fire within her. She was beginning to realize how much she had missed him.

She hadn't been with anyone since Solas, or anyone _during_ her time with Solas, either, since the elf had never attempted to bed her. She didn't know if that was a good thing or not. But since he'd come back, since he'd kissed her, it had started a fire in her that she was desperate to douse, so to speak. Either by getting him to confess, or…

She stopped her train of thought, worried how much of an odd expression she had on her face, because Solas had raised an eyebrow, and was watching her with mild amusement and interest.

She chewed the inside of her mouth, watching him. "We can talk on the battlements. My chambers are off limits."

There was a glimmer of something in his eye, and the smirk was back. "Very well, Inquisitor. Shall we go now?" He gestured to the door, and she nodded stiffly. They were about to leave, when it swung open heavily, revealing Varric, who had a huge grin on his face.

"There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere!" The dwarf grinned up at Neriah, then looked passed her at Solas. He looked from one to the other, taking note of their strained expressions. "What's wrong with you two, you both look positively guilty." A sly grin began to spread across his face, and Neriah felt her cheeks heat up.

"What is it, Varric?" She asked quickly, trying to draw attention away from her burning ears and face. "Is everything alright?"

The dwarf took the bait. "You've got to come to Herald's Rest right now." His eyes were shining with excitement mischief.

Neriah exhaled slowly, she glanced back over her shoulder at Solas, who had his hands folded behind his back, his face reserved, yet a little smug. "Varric, now's not the best time. Can't it wait?"

The dwarf shook his head vigorously, grabbing her sleeve and beginning to drag her from the rotunda. "No, it can't. You're never going to believe this, but Sera challenged Iron Bull to a drinking contest!" He looked positively gleeful.

Neriah's eyes widened, "Is she insane?! She'll kill her liver!" She felt that she had landed herself in a very annoying situation. On one hand, she wanted to interrogate Solas, and on the other, she wanted to make sure Sera didn't choke on her own vomit. She sighed inwardly. "Alright, fine." She turned back to Solas as Varric let go of her arm and hurried from the rotunda, yelling after her to follow him. "Don't move; we'll discuss this later." She then darted after Varric. For a little man, the dwarf was certainly very fast.

She made it to the bottom of the stone steps that led into the courtyard upwards Herald's Rest, when she realized Solas had followed her. Being almost a head taller than her, he kept an even pace, his face set in a smirk.

"What are you doing?" Neriah asked in surprise when she saw him. It was unlike Solas to engage in trivial moments such as these among their companions.

Solas kept his gaze ahead of them as they hurried towards the tavern, where they could already hear raucous laughter seeping out. "If Sera is involved in something as truly incompetent as this, then I would not miss it for the world." He shot her a sly smirk, and Neriah gave him a withering look.

"Play nice; I'm not finished with you, yet." She shot back, and Solas smirked down at her. They entered the tavern a few seconds later, to find all their friends gathered around the bar.

Sera was seated closest to the door, and Iron Bull was on the opposite end. He had two already finished mugs of beer in front of him, and was pounding back a third. Sera had one in front of her, which was the same size as Bull's, therefore making it roughly the size of her head. She was just finishing her second when Neriah and Solas walked up, and the elf was already starting to wobble.

Neriah leaned over next to her friend's ear. "Sera, what the _hell_ are you doing?" She had to gain control of herself to keep from laughing as Sera whipped around too fast, nearly falling off her stool.

"Wozzat?" She slurred, her eyes out of focus. Before Neriah could respond, Sera whipped around again with the same vigor, and Blackwall had to catch her arm to keep her in one place. "Another!" She yelled, throwing her mug at the floor. It didn't shatter, but Neriah winced at the noise.

"How did this start, anyway?" She hissed at Varric, who was grinning like an imp to her left.

"Well, Bull was bragging again about how he could outdrink anyone and, of course, our little Sera decided to see if she could call his bluff. No matter how many times Krem told her to shut up, she insisted, and here we are." He winked up at her, and Neriah massaged her temples in exasperation. She loved her friends, she really did, but sometimes they got out of hand.

"Is this what you people do when I'm not around?" A smile was tugging at the corners of her mouth, but she forced it down. She was the Inquisitor, dammit, and she had to maintain a level of professionalism, to a degree.

Varric snorted, "All the time."

Neriah relaxed, letting a small smile fall onto her face. She took a seat at the table behind the bar, where Cassandra and Cole were sitting, observing the situation. Behind them, the door to the tavern opened, and Dorian waltzed in, looking cheery.

"Has Iron Bull won yet?" He asked loudly, causing Varric and Blackwall to "Boo!" him from their positions behind Sera. He waved a hand at them, dismissing their disproval.

"Not yet; but I have a feeling the Chief'll win soon, though." Krem stood behind Bull, grinning from ear to ear. "I tried to warn Sera, but she wouldn't listen to me." Dorian came and took a seat next to him, and Iron Bull belched loudly.

"Had enough yet, little girl?" His laughter rumbled in his chest. "You can't beat the Iron Bull!" Behind him, Bull's Chargers let out a roar of approval, and Neriah felt a nervous smile cross her face. She glanced at Cassandra, who looked exasperated by it all.

"This is so juvenile," the Seeker scoffed, rolling her eyes at all the commotion.

Neriah threw her friend a knowing look. "If it's so juvenile, then why are you here Cassandra?"

"She has bet money against Varric that Sera will lose." Cole said simply, playing with a fork someone had left on the table from earlier.

Cassandra turned the color of Red Lyrium, "I did not!" She refused to look at either of them, as Neriah started giggling, and Cole looked perplexed.

Suddenly, there was a loud "_Ooooooh!_" Of disgust from the patrons of the bar, and the distinct sound of someone retching, as Sera went toppling off her stool and onto the floor, a fourth, half empty mug on her side of the bar. Neriah stared passed her friends at the elf who now lay whimpering on the floor of the tavern, her front covered in her own vomit.

"… Lovely." Dorian said, wrinkling his nose in distain.

"Alright, alright, show's over." Varric and Blackwall hauled Sera to her feet, and Blackwall dragged the semi-conscious elf up the stairs to her room in the tavern.

As she was being dragged away, Neriah heard her blubber. "Whozat; did I win?" She then lapsed into drunken giggling before she was out of sight.

Varric begrudgingly gave Cassandra her winnings, all the while her face still as red as Leliana's hair, and refusing to meet Neriah's mocking gaze. She scurried away out of the tavern after that, and Neriah was sure she wouldn't show her face in the War Room for a while out of sheer embarrassment.

Varric addressed the remaining members of the group. "Alright, everyone except Sera because I don't want her puking up a lung anywhere near me, who wants to play a round of Wicked Grace?" His sly gleam was back in his eyes, and Neriah knew he was aiming to win back the coin he'd lost to Cassandra.

"I'm in," Iron Bull said loudly, the effect of the ale he'd drank becoming more apparent now that the commotion had died down.

"I will play as well," Dorian agreed, taking a seat next to Iron Bull, who had stumbled from the bar to the table Varric was setting up at.

"Someone go get our Lady Ambassador, and someone go find Curly. I wouldn't miss those two facing off again for anything." Varric instructed, and Cole vanished abruptly, possibly going to find them. The dwarf turned to Neriah, as Blackwall came back from upstairs, his clothes miraculously clean, and a grim look on his face. He seated himself next to Iron Bull.

"How about it, Quizzy? Care for a game?" Neriah wasn't sure she liked the sly grin on the rogue's face.

She thought about it for a second, weighing her options. She could play, sure, but that would mean she wouldn't get to talk to Solas just yet, and she really wanted to get that over with. To her amazement, Solas suddenly took a seat at the table too, which caused everyone to go silent.

Varric was the first to break the ice. "Chuckles is playing? Shit, I am _definitely_ looking forward to this."

Solas fixed Varric with a look of complacency. "I do not gamble anymore, Child of the Stone, but I would be happy to play for amusement." He glanced at Neriah over his shoulder. "I hope our Lady Inquisitor would care to join us, as well."

Neriah was speechless. Solas was going to play Wicked Grace? Was another Blight starting? Had the world gone mad? She stood there staring at him like an idiot, when the door to the tavern opened, and Cole re-entered, followed by Josephine and Cullen, the latter looking a little worried.

"I pray I can keep my clothes on this time," Cullen muttered as they sat down.

"I don't mind!" Dorian sang happily, and Iron Bull started cackling as Cullen turned crimson. Solas raised an eyebrow at Neriah, who looked away, a smile trying to worm its way onto her face.

"Alright," she said finally, "I'm in. Who's dealing?"

* * *

Several hours later, Cullen still had his briefs on, thankfully, though nothing else, and Josephine was contently sitting pretty with a huge pile of coin. For the second time since Neriah had known her, she had bested the Commander at Wicked Grace, and left him sitting in his chair, looking both ashamed and terrified. Neriah hadn't bet any money, and neither did Solas. They had both played for fun, and Neriah had to admit she was glad she'd decided to stay. Solas was, in fact, strangely good at Wicked Grace. He had caused Iron Bull to nearly flip the table three times during their game, and the huge Qunari had to be restrained by both Dorian and Blackwall at one point. He was not a very good loser.

Neriah had consumed enough ale that her mind was starting to feel a little fuzzy. It was getting late, and she figured it would be best to simply go to bed after they were finished. She didn't want to deal with Solas tonight, especially having been drinking. That could not end well. The others packed up their things, and they all exited the tavern together, bidding one another goodnight. As Neriah walked through the completely deserted Main Hall towards the door to her quarters, a hand on her shoulder made her turn back.

Solas was standing behind her, his demeanor just as it had been when she'd rounded on him earlier in his room. "Did you not wish to speak anymore, Inquisitor?" She knew he was asking for the sake of asking, and it irked her a bit.

She shook her head, "It's too late for tonight, Solas. We _will_ talk about what happened, however, but when I am more awake." And more sober, she mentally added. Solas raised an eyebrow, a small smile on his lips. "Tomorrow morning, I will come find you, and we will talk." It wasn't an offer, or a question. She wasn't giving him a choice anymore.

He nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, I will await your arrival in the morning. Sleep well, Inquisitor." He turned to walk back across the hall, but turned back for a moment. "For what it is worth, Neriah, I enjoyed tonight. It was nice to take some time away from our duties, and merely be alive. We should do it again." He nodded to her once, before beginning to walk back across the hall to his chambers.

Something inside Neriah came alive in that moment. She wasn't sure if it was all the ale she'd drank, or the fact that she kept envisioning the kiss they'd shared in the Deeproads, or the fact that Solas would _not_ _get the hell out of her head_. The bugger had teased her with that he'd done in the Deeproads, and he was still teasing her now. She knew she should've been angry with him, but in that moment the primal, Dalish side of her was coming to a head, and she couldn't control it anymore. She reached out, grabbing Solas's arm, and wheeling him around in a complete circle, pressing him against the door to her chambers. He didn't even have a second to react before her lips were upon his.

His mouth was slack against hers for the first few seconds into the kiss, but when her tongue darted into his mouth, he began reacting a lot more generously. He growled into her mouth, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her closer, once again deepening the kiss as he had in the Deeproads. Her arms came to drape themselves around his neck, pulling his head down, and she broke away from his mouth to breathe, and trail kisses along his neck and jaw, causing Solas to stiffen as she did.

No words were spoken, none needed to be. They both knew that this was a long time coming, ever since he'd come back. She had felt it the moment she'd laid eyes on him again after six months of not knowing if he was even alive, and he knew that it would only be a manner of time before his resolve broke, and his animalistic nature took over.

Neriah didn't know if what she was doing was right, but she didn't care. It probably was the ale talking, but it didn't matter. Perhaps it had given her the confidence she'd needed to finally take what she wanted from Solas. She'd be damned if the egg-head was going to abandon her now; not during this moment, _never_ during this moment.

She felt Solas grabbing blindly for the door to her chambers, and she reached around him grabbing the handle and throwing it open. They fell into the darkness, and Neriah kicked the door closed behind them, plunging them into silence. She didn't even realize Solas had dragged her up the stairs to her bed, when she was suddenly being thrown onto it, a rush of air escaping her lungs. All her emotions were on high: she still felt anger towards him, betrayal and sadness, but she also felt a lust stronger than anything she could control anymore. She had to have them; talking could wait.

Solas seemed to feel the same way, because a moment later he was upon her, kissing her with a passion she did not know he possessed. He bit her throat, leaving small love-bites down to her collar bone, and she felt a moan escape her lips. His hands ghosted over her breasts, one arm coming up under her to grip her body against his. She could barely see in the dim light of her room, but she didn't care. She became suddenly aware that he was undoing the front of her doublet, when he stopped.

She looked up at him, and found he was staring at her. There was a primal hunger in his eyes, and he looked nothing like he'd ever looked. His face also held compassion, and he slowly let go of her shirt, beginning to lean away from her.

_No._

Neriah sat up, grabbing his arms, and bringing him down to her, pressing another kiss on his lips, this time taking care to be much gentler. When she pulled back, his eyes had calmed, and he was fixing her with a tender look.

"_Lethallan_," he said quietly. "We cannot do this. Not now; not here." He tried to pull away, pain returning to his eyes as it had all those months ago when he had left her the first time.

But this wasn't six months ago. This was now.

She refused to let him go. "I won't let you leave me again," she said fiercely. "Please, Solas. If anything, give me this one night. You owe me that much." And still an explanation, she reminded herself, but she shut that part up quickly. Her voice came out more desperate than she had wanted, but that seemed to be all the leverage Solas needed.

His mouth found hers again, and she felt herself being gently laid down back onto her bed, and as she was, the front of her shirt became undone, and she was exposed before him. She hadn't worn a breast-band today; she didn't like them, they were far too constricting. She heard Solas take a sharp inhale as his eyes trailed down her naked upper body. He murmured something in elven that she didn't understand.

"You are so beautiful," his voice was barely above a whisper. His hands shook as he took her face in them again, pressing his lips to hers once more.

She broke away to look up at him. "Show me how beautiful you think I am," she challenged him, and all at once his face went from passionate to primal. His lip curled back in a smirk.

"Is that what you wish of me, _vhenan?_" He asked, surprising her with his use of the elven term "heart". She hadn't been called that in months. She stared deep into his eyes, knowing exactly what she wanted for the first time in months. She uttered the one word that undid him.

"_Yes_."

* * *

**A/N: HA! Sorry to end it there, folks! I love doing these cliff hangers; they're so evil. I promise the next chapter will consist of much smut and elfy-love, among other things. They're both so silly. We all knew they wanted to procreate like rabbits from the moment Solas came back; it just takes **_**one**_** time, you two! Now we all know that ale and sexy former elven lovers do **_**not **_**mix! Or maybe they do for our benefits, I don't know. I need to formulate how I am going to write the next part. I haven't written much smut before, so this will be a challenge. I am debating on going Primal!Solas or Gentle!Solas. Still don't know; ah well, it'll come to me. Silly fluff chapter is silly. Stay tuned! **


	8. Ma e Ar

**A/N: The title of this chapter roughly means "You and I", or "You I". I couldn't think of anything else that would fit better than that. Get ready for smut, and be gentle! This is my first time writing about to elves going at it… Huehueh. **

* * *

_Chapter Eight_

_Ma e Ar_

"Is that what you wish of me, _vhenan?_" His voice was barely above a whisper, his eyes searching hers. Even though the hunger and lust that reflected in them, she could see his concern. What this really what she wanted? He wanted to make sure this was what she desired from him before anything went any further. She could still see the sadness in his gaze, and feel it in her heart, but right now, she didn't care. She only wanted one thing; she'd only ever wanted one thing.

_Him_.

She looked up into his eyes, her silver ones holding his stormy ones. Despite everything, despite all that had happened, and all that could still happen, she wanted this. She wanted this one moment with him; she _needed_ this one moment with him.

"_Yes_." Was all she whispered.

Something broke inside of him in that moment, and all rational thought seemed to fly from his mind. The creases in his brow vanished, and the hunger was back in full force in his eyes. He crashed his lips into hers, and Neriah thought she heard a snarl escape him as he did. His arm came up under her to hook her against him, his hips pressing agonizingly close to hers. She was very aware of the friction of the fabric of his shirt was against her skin, and she pulled away, the Dalish side of her coming out; a sly little smile spread across her mouth. She raised an eyebrow at Solas, who followed her gaze down, noticing what she was looking at. A low chuckle escaped him.

Before he could do or say anything, quick as lightning, she had squirmed out of his grasp, and yanked his shirt over his head, tossing at away from them onto the floor of her quarters. For a moment she marvelled at the half naked man before her. She had never seen Solas without a shirt on before, and Creators be damned if she didn't relish in the sight of it for a few moments.

He was pale, not as pale as her, mind you, but still pale. His skin seemed to glow in the moonlight as hers did, and across his chest there were small scars, most likely from his travels across the years. His body was not solid muscle and oversized, as were the bodies of some of the human the soldiers of Skyhold that Neriah had seen wandering the barracks shirtless before. He was lean and toned, with slightly broader shoulders than most elves, but still relatively thin. The black wolf's jaw pendant he constantly wore still clung to his neck, a stark contrast to the whiteness of his skin.

He noticed her staring at him, and the lust in her heavy-lidded eyes, and a smirk slid across his face. He moved silently towards her, pulling her up to kneel on the bed with him, their naked chests pressing together. The contact of bare skin on bare skin made her moan softly into his chest, and Solas growled low in his throat as her breasts brushed along his chest. She felt his hands come up behind her, and his nails dig into her back, pulling her as close as possible. She raised her eyes to meet his, and pressed her lips to his own again.

The movement of her lips were slow; _agonizingly _slow. Part of her wanted to just give in, and let Solas take her, but the other part wanted to savor the kiss. She wanted to feel every movement, every gasp into her mouth when her hand travelled down to find the hard lump at the front of his breeches. She wanted to feel the hot breath in her mouth become more laboured as her hand moved up and down slowly, careful not to move too quickly, lest the rough fabric cause him discomfort. She wanted to feel the vibration of his growl into her core as her fingers slowly undid the laces of his breeches, and her cool fingers slipped inside, reaching in to find them along the shaft of his hardened member. His skin like fire beneath her touch, and as she slowly moved her hand, Solas's voice died against her lips, and his mouth went slack against hers as he began to lose himself in the feeling of her gentle pumping.

"_Vhenan_," his voice came out much raspier than he had probably intended, but he didn't seem to care. "You cannot tease me like this." His eyes were squeezed shut, and his hips slowly began to buck into her hand. With her free hand, she tugged his trousers down past his knees, giving his length full exposer. She began to pump her hand faster, and a low groan escaped Solas's lips. His eyelids fluttered, trying to focus on her through the pleasure.

"_Vhenan,_" There was a warning tone in his voice.

It only made her move her hand faster. He rolled his hips into her hand again, this time more forcefully, and his breath was becoming more laboured, though he began to regain more control of himself.

"Neriah…" His voice was getting stronger.

She looked up into his eyes, a challenged little grin on her face, and she slowly removed her hand.

Her only mistake was letting her guard down.

The next thing she knew, she was on her back, and her own breeches were being ripped off, and tossed into the darkness. She saw a flash, and Solas's were gone too, and they were completely naked on her bed, staring at one another. The stare only last a few seconds, before Solas grabbed her by her hips, jerking her further down the bed, until her hips were parallel with his. The tip of him touched the area on her body that was searing with heat, and they both froze. Solas looked at her, and she nodded once. He took that as her permission, and with one hard thrust, he was inside her.

It was like the world had stopped. There was an explosion of feeling throughout Neriah's body. It had been so long since she had been with someone, and never had she been with Solas. The feeling of him inside, even staying still, sent electricity shooting all through her. Her whole form tensed, and she could feel Solas beginning to shake as he held her close to him. His restraint was admirable, she had to admit, as he gazed down at her. She slowly drew his face down to hers, pressing her lips to his in a kiss filled with every emotion she was currently feeling, pouring all of it into the kiss. She gently bit his lower lip, and felt his hips roll into hers, as he began to move within her. An involuntary moan escaped her lips, and her head fell back onto the pillow.

With one hand, Solas gripped her hip, keeping himself in position, and the other he placed next to her head, so he could keep himself propped up to looked at her. His movements were slow and deliberate, each thrust long and hard. His eyes never left hers, and the action only made her body shake with need more than it already was. With each thrust, Solas let out a low grunt of pleasure, and his gaze was going in and out of focus through his haze of lust for her. She unconsciously bit her lower lip, and that seemed to arouse him even more, because he began to move faster inside her.

He dipped his head as he moved, his tongue flicking out to trace around one of her nipples, and Neriah shuddered at the feeling, a sharp sigh causing Solas to grin against her breast.

"Does that please you, _ma vhenan?_" He hissed, not looking up as his tongue continued to tease her hardening bud.

"You know damn well it does," she growled through her teeth, her back arching up into him, causing him to go deeper inside her. Solas stiffened at that movement, his tongue ceasing to massage her breast.

"You mustn't move like that, _lethallan_," he warned her, his breath sounding ragged. "I do not wish this to end just yet."

She narrowed her eyes, and felt a grin begin to slide onto her face. She slowly arched her back again, her hips grinding into his once more, and felt her body ache with burning desire and he went even farther into her depths. Solas growled in protest, but didn't try to stop her movements. "Whatever do you mean, Solas?" She asked innocently. "Are my movements threatening to unravel you?" She couldn't help but wink up at him, and his lip curled back in a snarl.

"_Fenedhis!_" Solas cursed in elven, struggling to slow his movements, butfailing miserably. "Must you tease me in this way, _vhenan?_" His arms were beginning to shake, and Neriah could see just how much self-control the elf needed in that moment. She took that moment to her advantage.

She pressed her hands on his chest, nearly throwing Solas off balance. Within a few seconds, she had him on his back, careful to still keep him inside her. Her weight on top of him made him hiss, as she straddled his hips. She began to slowly work her body against, and Solas's head fell back onto the pillow, a low groan escaping him. His hand unconsciously gripped her hips, moving in time with her thrusts. The only sound in the room was the dull creak of the bed, and the slow breaths coming from them both.

Neriah moved gently on top of Solas, never once taking her eyes off his face. To see him so relaxed, so at ease, gave her a sense of peace. All she had wanted when she had been with him was for him to open up to her. She had thought he had done just that, with everything he had shared with her during their time together. From the death of his Spirit friend, to his beliefs about the Dalish, to his teachings in the Fade. He had been so terrified of opening up to anyone, and the fact that he had even let her in a little had been such a feat for him.

Now, to have him in such a vulnerable position, to be in complete control of them both… It sent her mind into a frenzy, and started a fire in her abdomen. She pressed her hands into his thighs, holding him in place, and Solas cracked a lid, watching her intently. Without warning, he sat up, and cradled her against him, resting his head in the crook of her neck and chest. She wrapped her legs around him, holding him close to her body as they moved together as one.

Solas lifted his face to hers, and kissed her deeply, and she responded with vigor, her tongue tracing along his lower lip, and she clung to him in her desperation for release. She felt his hands grow warm against her, and she knew he was using his magic to help stimulate them both. His fingers sent smalls bursts of static down her body, hitting her right where she wanted it, and she whimpered, her head falling forwards to rest on top of his. She heard him chuckle slightly breathlessly against her shoulder as she did, and turned to bury his face into her breasts, his tongue lightly caressing each with gentle efficiency.

Neriah moaned loudly, louder than she'd anticipated, and that seemed to affect Solas greatly. He began to move faster beneath her, and in response, she rolled her hips harder against him, feeling her body begin to quiver; the fire was building to a white hot magnitude inside her.

"_Hahren,_" she gasped into the darkness, her body clenching around him; she was so close.

Solas pulled back to look at her, using one hand to hold her chin still so she couldn't look away. "Stay with me, _vhenan_; do not let go yet." His words sent the fire flaring up again, and she struggled to remember her name. He continued to move inside her, though even his movements were becoming more desperate. She could tell he was getting close as well, and was struggling just as much as she was to stay in control. He bit down on her shoulder as another moan tore itself from his lips; soon we too would be undone.

Her breath was becoming more arduous, and her nails dug into the flesh of his shoulders and back. "_Solas,_" her voice was pleading. "I can't – I – c-can't!" She screwed up her face, trying to come down from where her body was taking her, but she couldn't. The magic he was using, combined with the position they were in, and sounds he was making were going to be the end of her resolve.

Her voice caught at the end of that sentence, and she gasped his name again. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of struggling with her self-control, she felt Solas begin to shake. He wrenched himself away to look at her, his eyes glazed, and she knew what was about to happen.

"_Solas_," she whispered his name into the night. Only his name; only ever his name. She said it with such compassion that for a moment there was silence in the room. Then she leaned forward, and kissed him with all the passion she could muster from within her very soul.

That did it.

Solas gasped her name into her mouth, and she felt him go rigid beneath her; she could feel him spilling into her, and that sent her over the edge as well. With one last burst of energy, Solas pushed his magic into her body, and Neriah's head fell back as she cried out his name, her body screaming with desire and release. Solas pressed his face into her chest as he rode out her orgasm with her, holding her as tightly as he could against him until she stopped shaking. They sat in the darkness, both breathing heavily, their bodies' slick with sweat, and shaking in the moonlight. After her heart had calmed, she looked down at Solas, her eyes filled with sleep, contentment, and confusion. What did this mean now?

As if to answer her question, Solas slow took her face in his hands, and brought his lips to hers in a gentle kiss, before breaking away to kiss along her throat and breasts where his love marks now littered her pale, smooth skin. He then slowly lay them both down on the bed, disentangling their limbs, and held her against him. Neriah could feel sleep tugging at the corners of her conscience.

As she drifted into the Fade, she felt Solas place a small kiss on her forehead, and whisper something in elven that she did not know.

* * *

Neriah wandered the Fade in silence, her footfalls making hardly any sound as she moved. There was the distant sound of running water as she entered the clearing. The grass around her was a deep blue/green, and the rocks that jutted up above her seemed to glow in the dim moonlight. She hadn't been back to this place in what seemed like an age. It felt like a lifetime ago that she had last set foot here. Before it had caused her so much pain to even remember this place.

But that was before.

Now, as she stood in the clearing, listening to the small waterfall, seeing the ripples in the little pond, and feeling the slight breeze brushing along her face, she no longer felt the immense weight of sadness upon her, but instead felt calm. This place didn't feel so toxic anymore. This was now a dream, and no longer a painful memory.

As she stood in this beautiful spot, she heard movement behind her. She turned, and found Solas standing a few feet away, watching her silently. Hey eyes softened, and she extended a hand to him. He looked mildly relieved, and came forward, taking her hand in his. They stood in silence at the edge of the water, listening to the sounds of the night, of the Fade.

"It has been some time since I was last here," Solas remarked suddenly. "It has been many months since I visited this place."

Neriah glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "You came here after you left?"

Solas didn't meet her gaze. "I came here many nights after I left. Most times it was against my own will. My journeys through the Fade brought me here, forcing me to relive that last moment we had together." His face looked pained, and he turned to her now. "So many nights I would come here, trying to let you go; trying not to relive any memories of you." A bitter smile passed along his face. "I told you once before, not many things have been able to turn me from the Fade; none, except you." He took her other hand in his. "I must admit, I did not expect this night to turn out as it did." He drew her into his arms. "But I am glad it did. I am glad to be back with you again, _ma vhenan_."

Neriah leaned her head on his chest, listening to him speak in silence. When he had finished, she looked up at him. "I'm still mad at you, you know." His look of surprise made her chuckle lightly. "You still owe me an explanation, Solas. I won't demand one from you now, but I would like one eventually." She stared up at him, placing a light kiss on his nose. "The important thing is you're back, and I am happy for that." She looked down at their intertwined hands. "Someone told me once: to err makes us mortal, but to forgive is a God-like ability." She felt Solas stiffen, and she looked back up at him, her gaze warming slightly. "I am still hurt over what happened, Solas, please know that. Maybe it's because I still care for you, or maybe it's because we just procreated like two rabbits," That comment earned a pained smile from Solas, "I don't know for certain, but I do know that I can't let bitterness consume me. I can't stay angry forever." She smirked up at him, "But I'm still mad at you."

Solas suddenly drew her into a passionate kiss. His arms tightened around her, and for an instant he seemed desperate for her again, but the moment passed as soon as it began. He let her go, holding her at arm's length.

"_Ma'arlath_, _ma vhenan,_" he said quietly, and Neriah's heart began to pound.

"What did you say?" She whispered, hardly daring to believe her ears.

Solas began to smile, and Neriah felt a smile beginning to spread across her face as well. Butterflies were fluttering like crazy inside her, and Solas's hands tightened on her shoulder.

"Need I truly repeat myself, _lethallan_?"

She shook her head vigorously, leaning up to kiss him again. As she pulled back, she knew her eyes were wet with tears of joy, and perhaps a little sadness. "I love you too, Solas."

He held her in his arms for a few moments, and the two elves listened to the sounds of the water running through the rocks, and the breeze gently playing through their dream world.

"This place no longer houses pain for me," Solas said quietly, and Neriah nodded wordlessly against his chest. Suddenly, Solas pulled away again, watching her with apprehension.

Neriah began to feel nervous. "Solas? Is everything alright?"

He let go of her, and just stood there, watching her, his mind clearly somewhere else. He turned away from her, and began to pace. Neriah began to feel more and more uneasy as she watched him, his hands wound tightly behind his back.

"Solas?"

He stopped pacing now; it looked like his mind was working to figure out something that was causing him a lot of pain. She began to worry even more; was he going to leave her again?

Solas did quite the opposite in fact.

He approached her, slowly taking her hands in his. "Neriah… _Vhenan_…" He looked into her eyes. "I need you to wake up now."

Confusion radiated across her face. "I don't understand; why?" Solas gave her the smallest, saddest smile she'd ever seen him produce in the time they'd known each other.

"Because I am going to tell you everything."

* * *

**A/N: WELL THERE YOU HAVE IT, FOLKS. MY FIRST ATTEMPT AT SMUT. THIS WASN'T AWKWARD TO WRITE AT ALL. I wrote the majority of this in my cubicle, so I was constantly on high alert if anyone came in (I'd just yell "NOTHING!" and slam my laptop closed – it was hilarious and terrifying). **

**So anyway, there you have it, Solas and Neriah did it. I was contemplating having it be a lot more primal and desperate, but I think it turned out rather well. I was listening to the "Dragon Age Inquisition" soundtrack at the time, in particular the "Love Theme", and couldn't bring myself to write anything but something super sweet (at least I thought it was sweet). I mostly wanted to convey passion, lust, and love into it all. I hope it worked – please be gentle, as it was my first real attempt at this, and the idea of writing the word "penis" made me start laughing like an idiot. I'm an adult, I swear. Huzzah! Also, the elven used is explained throughout this chapter; if anyone has any questions, feel free to PM me, or check the Dragon Age Wikia! **

**Oh, one more thing, since this weekend is Easter, and I have the whole weekend off, I will be spending it with my boyfriend's family one day, my dad the next, and my mom the day after. I **_**want**_** to get the next chapter up tomorrow or Saturday, but if I am a few days late, please don't hold it against me! I will finish this!**


	9. Fen'Harel

**A/N: Okay! So the chapter after the smut. I hope everyone liked the last chapter; I really wanted it to be a sweet moment between those two. I've read some **_**really kinky**_** Solas fics before, but for that particular part, I didn't really think it should be super kinky. Maybe in later chapters I'll make it really ridiculous, but we'll have to see, won't we? ;) Enjoy! The title of this chapter, if those of you don't know, means "Dread Wolf" in Elven. Pretty much self-explanatory. SPOILERS FROM THE END OF INQUISITION. I trust those of you that are reading this know what happened already, but there you have it. **

* * *

_Chapter Nine:_

_Fen'Harel _

Neriah awoke slowly. The sky outside her room was a light grey, and she knew that meant the sun wasn't far from rising. Her eyes were fuzzy with sleep, and her mind was heavy from exhaustion. As she lay there, the events from the previous night came back to her, and she looked slowly to her right. To her amazement, she found Solas still lying next to her. His eyes were closed, and he lay still on his back, his chest rising and falling slowly.

As she turned to look at him, he opened on eye, and a small smile came to his lips. He rolled on his side, and she propped herself up on one elbow to gaze at him better. He slowly drew her against him and pressed his lips to hers gently. She sighed happily into his mouth, and lightly bit his lower lip. Solas growled low in his throat, and she grinned wolfishly against his kiss, starting to lean in, hoping this would escalate into something more. However to her disappointment, Solas leaned away from her, the smile still on his face, but his eyes calm and lust free, unlike hers. A chuckle escaped him when she stuck out her lower lip and pouted. She rolled away and sat up, stretching her limbs. Behind her, Solas began pulling on his breeches, and picked his over shirt up off the floor. As he dressed, Neriah watched him thoughtfully.

"You don't have to tell me anything just yet, Solas. If you're not ready, I understand." She seemed to surprise him with that, because he turned his head sharply to look at her. "I'm serious." She said carefully, "Look, I know that things were tense when you first came, back, but I'm trying to let that go. I care for you, and –"

"I care for you as well, Neriah." Solas cut her off sharply, his eyes darkening. "It is because I care for you that I _must_ tell you why. You are right: I owe you an explanation." He moved towards her, taking her bare shoulders in his hands. "I am tired of running. It took me so long to be able to trust anyone, and you have become important to me. I do not wish to keep this from you any longer." There was something in his eyes that made Neriah nervous. She placed her hands on his face.

"Solas," her voice was soft, gentle, reassuring. "Whatever it is, we can work through it together. You don't have to run anymore." His eyes flashed with something, and he drew her into him, holding her half naked body against his chest. "Just tell me." She whispered, her voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt.

"Not here," he sounded strained. "We must go somewhere more secluded." He drew back, looking past her, his eyes drifting to the mountains surrounding Skyhold. "Perhaps we could go the base of the mountains. We would be back by nightfall." He looked down at her, searching his face for her reaction.

Neriah felt confusion and worry begin to seep into her. Was whatever Solas was going to tell her so bad that they had to _leave_ Skyhold? What had he done? Was another one of his "friends" in danger, or worse? Had he gotten involved with something, or someone, who could harm him, or the Inquisition?

She nodded once, and pulled away from him, reaching for her shirt. She threw it over her head, and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to make herself look less dishevelled. She then grabbed her staff and coat, they exchanged a look, and exited her chambers. They descended the stairs quickly, and came to the door leading to the Main Hall. Neriah was silently thankful that it was so early. She really was not in the mood to deal with Varric or Dorian if either of them saw her leaving her room early in the morning with Solas in tow. The comments those two would make… Not to mention if Sera or Iron Bull saw them together like this. They might've flattened Solas into the floor in a split second.

She poked her head out of the door first to see if anyone was around in the Main Hall, earning her a raised eyebrow from Solas. She rolled her eyes, before indicating that it was safe to exit. It was early enough that any of the visiting nobles, and Varric, were nowhere to be seen. She heard Solas chuckle lightly behind her, and resisted the urge to turn around and smack his arm in an attempt to shut him up. They hurried through the Main Hall, towards the rotunda, and Neriah flung open the door, ushering Solas in before her, and threw a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure no one had seen them.

It was only once they were safely inside the rotunda, that Solas gave Neriah a knowing look. "Embarrassed to be seen with me, _vhenan?_" The sarcastic, amused tone in his voice made her shoot him a contemptuous look.

"You know that's not why, Solas. I just don't wish to deal with our companions, this morning. I'd like to get in and out of Skyhold without any distractions, or inconveniences." She added under her breath, glancing upwards to make sure Dorian wasn't eavesdropping again. She saw no sign of the flamboyant Tevinter mage, and she wanted to keep it that way. Solas began to quickly gather his things together as he prepared for their departure. Neriah watched him from the doorway, her expression thoughtful. After a moment of silence, she spoke.

"Did you mean what you said?" Her voice was soft, her eyes curious.

Solas turned glanced at her over his shoulder. "Did I mean what, _lethallan_?" He went back to rummaging through some parchment on his desk, folding them neatly and putting them in his pack. Neriah had no idea why he would need any parchment, and wondered if he was sorting to ease his mind.

She fixed him with the penetrating stare. "When you told me you loved me," she saw the hand reaching for another parchment falter, before carefully taking hold of it. She knew she had gotten his attention. "I mean, I know you know I love you; I figured that much was obvious at my reaction when you came back. But you've never said it to me before." Her brow furrowed, "You didn't only say it because we…?"

He didn't look at her, "Don't ever say that." His voice came out a lot harsher than she'd expected. He turned to face her now, his eyes steely. "Of course I meant it, Neriah." He put down the papers, now turning his whole body so we was facing her completely. She was actually surprised at how angry Solas seemed to be from her asking such a question. "It was because I love you that I had to leave before; why I could not tell you the truth." His face filled with an old pain, "When I look at you, I see innocence; and your innocence shall not be tainted by what I…" His voice trailed off, and he looked away from her. He said nothing for a moment, before looking at her again. "But you deserve to know the truth." Creators, was he ever being dramatically ominous. Neriah stared at Solas, unsure if she should be laughing because he was joking, or feeling real fear because he was being. What the hell was she about to find out?

Solas noticed her expression change, and his face softened. He approached her slowly, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I know how you feel about me, _ma vhenan_; just as I know how I feel about you." She noted that the hunger had returned to his gaze, and there was a primal glint in his eye, just as there had been the night before. He slowly drew her into is embrace, and his lips ghosted over hers. Her body tensed, as she felt his tongue slowly trace along her lips, and a groan escape his lips when she shuddered. What had gotten into him all of a sudden?

She felt him slowly push her back against the door to the rotunda, so that he had her pinned against it. She felt his knee force its way between her legs, as his tongue delved more forcefully into her mouth, and hers react with generosity. She was heavily reminded of the first time they kissed, and after the fact informing Solas that yes, Fade tongue _did_ count. Now here they were, over a year later, making out like two sex deprived animals. Come to think of it, Solas's actions _were_ very animalistic, and Neriah wondered vaguely why that was; something had clearly changed about him since he had been away. A year ago he would have never bedded her as he did the previous night, nor stick his tongue down her throat as he was now. Not that she was complaining.

She was snapped out of her memories when she felt his hand slowly slide down, entering the top of her breeches, to slowly above her growing heat. She let out an involuntary moan, and felt Solas's mouth curve up in a smirk as he continued to explore her mouth with his tongue. He broke away momentarily to trail it across her jaw, and up to her ear, where he flicked it along her pointed tip. That sent a shiver through her body, and Neriah gasped lightly. With his free hand, Solas took her wrists, and held them above her head, so that she was literally trapped against him. With the other hand, the one within her breeches, his fingers moved ever so slowly downwards until they found their destination. He hissed in pleasure upon feeling how wet she was for him already.

"_Vhenan_," his voice was hoarse in her ear, as he pressed his hips closer to hers, and she could feel his hardness through this trousers. By the Creators, if he didn't rip her clothing off and bend her over that desk soon, she was going to go positively mad.

Suddenly, the door that Solas had Neriah pinned against opened and, with a cry, the two elves went toppling to the floor, Solas managing to wrench his hand from inside her breeches at the last second. The next thing Neriah knew, she was laying on her back on the stone floor, staring up at a _very _surprised, yet _very _smug looking Varric, and a very surprised and an absolutely horrified looking Cassandra.

"I-Inquisitor!" Cassandra squawked, staring down at the two elves, "_Solas?_" Her face was an odd combination of white from shock, and bright red from seeing the two elves entangled in each other's limbs on the stone floor, not to mention the _very _obvious bulge on the front of Solas's trousers, that the severely embarrassed elf was attempting to cover. "Maker's Breath, what are you two doing?!"

"Isn't it obvious, Seeker?" Varric looked as giddy as a little girl. "Looks like you owe me back that coin you won from last night!" The dwarf had a huge grin on his face, and Neriah wished that in that moment a Rift would open and up and swallow her whole. She practically threw Solas off of her, who by now was as red as Cassandra, and Neriah knew her face probably didn't look any less guilty. Cassandra just stood there, her mouth opening and closing, her eyes practically bugging out of her head.

Varric took the Seeker by her elbow, and led the nearly petrified woman away from the two crimson elves. "Now, now, Seeker. They were clearly in the middle of something rather important; we should let them get back to it." He winked at Neriah and Solas, before virtually hauling Cassandra from the rotunda, and up the stairs, now doubt to find Dorian and tell him what had happened, before probably writing down every last detail, and putting it in his next book. Above them, there came a sudden call of, "What happened?" and Dorian's head appeared through the railing.

"Dread Wolf, take me…" Neriah whimpered into her hands, and through her fingers she thought she saw Solas blush an even deeper shade of pink.

"Let us go," he said hastily, snatching his pack, satchel, and staff, before leading her to the door without a glance upwards, though they both heard Varric call back, "I'll tell you in a second; you're gonna _love_ this."

* * *

Neriah's boots crunched in the snow as they walked, down the mountainside. Behind them, Skyhold had become the size of a child's dollhouse as they moved down their makeshift path.

"Are we almost there?" Neriah asked, slightly breathless, puffs of cold air coming from her chilled lips. The icy mountain wind pierced her lungs like a knife, and she hissed through her teeth.

Solas glanced over his shoulder at her. "We are nearly there_, vhenan_. Not much further." He gestured to a small cave about fifty feet from them. "I wish use to have complete solitude."

"You're not going to kill me, harvest my organs, and feed me to demons, are you?" Neriah joked, trying to lighten the mood. The exasperated looked she earned from Solas suggested that no, that was not going to happen. She rolled her eyes. "It was a joke, Solas." That earned her an eye roll right back, as they came to the entrance of the cave.

It was dark within its depths, and Solas lit a small Veil Fire as they became settled. The pale green light made his skin look ghostly, and gave him an air of mystery, and a little bit of foreboding. He stood in front of the Veil Fire, not saying anything for what felt like an eternity. Neriah watched him, doing all she could to remain silent, as she could tell he was contemplating on how to speak to her.

Finally, he looked up at her. "I do not know how to begin." His eyes were pained; Neriah didn't think she'd ever seen him so uncomfortable. "I do not know how to begin to tell you what I have done; what I am." That sent off a warning signal in Neriah's brain, and she felt a chill run through her.

"What you are?" She whispered; she hadn't been expecting this. "Solas… What's going on? What's happened; are you in danger?"

His face softened, "No, _vhenan_. I am not in danger. But our people," a pause, "our people are in danger, if they are not restored."

Neriah stared at him. After all this time, he was still on about the elven people being restored? She had known that Solas was very adamant about returning their people to their former glory (Sera having joked that Solas shouted, "Elven Glory!" when he "did it" – though at the time Neriah had had no idea, as they hadn't been together yet). Was all this over the fact that the elves weren't where Solas wanted them to be? Was it still to do with the orb that Corypheus had had?

"The night I took your _vallaslin_, do you remember what you told me before I took you to that glade in Crestwood?" Solas asked, his voice hollow, his eyes searching.

Neriah slowly shook her head. "It was so long ago, Solas."

The elven mage smiled sadly. "Of course it was, I didn't expect you to remember such a painful day." He looked into the Veil Fire. "You said that, if you could, you would restore the elven people to what they once were; or at least as best as you were able." He turned back to look at her, "Did you mean that?"

Neriah nodded her head slowly, "Of course I meant that, Solas. I love my people, and our culture, but there is still so much we have to learn. Just learning that our _vallaslins _are slave markings is part of that." She stood up, walking to him and touching his arm. "I would see my people, _our_ people, not be seen as slaves anymore. I want the Dalish to know what we are, and what we can do. I don't want us to run anymore." Her words were fierce, and her voice strong. "I want us to make the Creators proud of us; to make all our Gods proud, even if some believe they don't exist."

Solas watched her with calm, understanding eyes. She could see a smile tugging at his mouth, and there was a glimmer of hope behind his gaze. He took her hands in his, and looked into her eyes. "_Vhenan_, do you trust me?" It was an odd question to ask, but she knew she needed to answer if she wanted him to tell her what was going on, and what was with all the cryptic conversation.

He didn't give her time to answer, before he let go of her hands, and stepped away from her. "You must trust me. I cannot think of a better way to tell you, so I have elected to _show_ you instead."

Neriah forced a nervous laugh. "That doesn't sound ominous at all, _hahren_." Solas's returned smile did not reach his eyes, as he stepped away from her, towards the mouth of the cave, and sun shone through, illuminating his back, causing him to appear to have an unearthly glow emanating from his very being.

"Close your eyes, _ma vhenan_, and trust me." Was all he said. Neriah felt a growing pit of worry begin to form within her, but she forced it down. She did as he asked, and closed her eyes tightly, careful not to peek through her lids. As she stood there, her eyes tight shut, in the darkness of the cave, she felt a small gust of wind blow over her, and her skin tingled with what she knew was magic. Still she kept her eyes closed. It was only when she heard movement that she opened her eyes again.

The sight before her nearly made her scream.

Solas wasn't there anymore, or anywhere to be seen for that matter. In his place was a great, _black_, wolf. The creature was nearly the size of an average sized horse, and its fur was as black as the darkest corners of the Fade. But it wasn't the fur that Neriah was fixated with.

It was its eyes.

The wolf did not just have two eyes, as did any other wolf she had ever seen. In fact, it had multiple, and they were all a deep crimson, like a ruby, or blood. Shadows seemed to ripple through its fur, and she could see its white fangs glistening in the light from the sun and fire. It sat calmly, watching her with its many eyes, and she felt a swell of fear pass through her. Where was Solas? What _was_ this creature? It continued to stare at her, unmoving. Was it even breathing? Suddenly, it began to approach her, and she took a quick step backward, her foot catching in the snow, and she tumbled to the ground with a thud. As the great wolf moved towards her, and began to back up, her hands slipping on the slick ground of the cave floor.

The wolf moved at an unearthly pace, until it stood directly before her, its face a mere foot from her own. She was frozen with fear; was this monster going to kill her? _Where was Solas?!_

Its face moved closer to her now, its muzzle so close she could feel the heat of its breath on her cheeks. It was so calm, and its face showed no signs of hostility, and its eyes…

_Its eyes._

They were no longer a deep crimson, but now a deep grey, almost a blue… Almost…

_A storm_.

Her breath hitched, and her mind went blank. She began to feel dizzy. No; no, there was no way. Not a single way in all of Thedas, the Fade, _anywhere_. There was _no fucking way_. She stared at the wolf, her body frozen with terror and fascination. The wolf slowly tilted its head to one side, watching her; if wolves could smile… Slowly, she found her voice again, and one thing escaped her lips.

"_Solas?_"

She heard a low rumble from the animal's core, and it slowly dipped its head to her. Her mouth began to fall open, and her limbs began to shake. Ever so slowly, she began to extend her hand towards it. Just as her fingers brushed its fur, it drew back with a low growl, and she withdrew her hand quickly, in fear of losing a finger. The wolf seemed to sense her discomfort, because a small whine escaped it, and it slowly extended its muzzle towards her, until it brushed along her still slightly raised hand. She slowly allowed it to guide her hand up, until it rested on its muzzle, and she could feel the cool wetness of its nose against her palm. She looked up into its face, and stared into its cool, storm grey eyes. Something tugged in her chest.

"It _is_ you," she whispered, and her eyes filled with tears. She leaned forward, and buried her face in the fur of the animal, her arms around its great neck. It sat still as she held herself to the black beast, her tears falling into its fur, and her grip tight around the man, and the animal, the loved.

"Solas," she whispered, not looking up from the thick black fur, "is this what you wanted to tell me all this time? That you're –" her voice failed her, as something clicked in her mind. This wolf, Solas, it looked so familiar, and she hadn't been able to place why. As she pulled away to look at it again, she saw that its eyes had returned to the deep crimson they had been before, and it was sitting perfectly still like a statue, watching her. In that moment she knew where she had seen this wolf before. She had been just a child, and seen images of it in books shown to her by her father, and other members of her clan. Its name was whispered in the dark, in fear the Elven Gods would hear them. Her mouth felt dry, cracked, like a forgotten sea.

"_Fen'Harel_."

As the name left her lips, there was a flash of light, and the wolf was gone. Solas was kneeling before her, and he looked the perfect image of a man destroyed. His eyes were glazed with what looked like unshed tears, and his skin was whiter than the snow that surrounded them. They stared at each other in silence, neither of them daring to breathe. Neriah could feel her heart threatening to beat its way out of her chest, and her mind was screaming at her in both Elven and Common.

"You're… You're Fen'Harel," she whispered, hardly daring to speak any louder.

Solas's eyes were a dark storm in the dim light of the cave. His jaw was set, and no noise escaped him. He looked as though he were frozen in time; a statue of a man abandoned by history, like the trickster God he truly was.

When he spoke, his voice sounded so fragile; so terrified. "I wanted to tell you the night I took your _vallaslin, vhenan_." He moved to touch her, but she jerked away from him, her eyes filled with fear and confusion. Her sudden movement sent a wave of anguish across Solas's face. "Neriah, you must understand. I had no choice; I could not tell you what I was; it would have changed everything." He was pleading with her, but she only had one question for him.

"What did you do?"

He looked confused, "I'm sorry?"

Her eyes narrowed, and he looked nervous. "You said you did something; something bad, and you couldn't tell me. This was only part of it." Her voice was flat, as she tried to calm her screaming mind. "What did you do, Solas." It wasn't a question; it was a demand.

She saw him stiffen as she asked, and he looked pained, and scared; more vulnerable than she had ever seen him. He looked down at his hands that rested in his lap, before looking back up at her.

"The orb Corypheus had… It was mine; it belonged to Fen'Harel."

All the sound seemed to leave the world as he said that, and Neriah stared at him, hardly daring to believe what she had just heard.

"You… What?"

Solas didn't give her a chance to ask anymore. "Let me explain, _vhenan_. Please; I owe you that much." He gently came to her, and led her to the fire. She was so numb from shock that she didn't resist him. She knew he owed her an explanation, but this was so far from anything she'd expected to find out, that she didn't know how to react. He'd broken her; she couldn't physically move or think anymore; all her limbs felt like lead. What happened now?

Solas gently sat her down by the fire, and began to explain everything to her. He told her how after Fen'Harel had awoken from his slumber, and that he had attempted to unlock the powers of the orb, but had been too weak to do so. Thusly, he had given the orb to Corypheus, in hopes that he would be able to unlock the magic of the elven artifact, and consequently be able to help restore the elven people to their former glory. Had had, unfortunately, been gravely mistaken, and following this the events of Corypheus's Blight had occurred.

In his desperation, Solas had sought the orb, in hopes that it would not be destroyed in the process of defeating Corypheus, but he had been too late, and the orb had been lost. In his guilt at failing his people once again, he had elected to leave the Inquisition, to leave Neriah, and attempt to atone for his mistakes on his own.

He told her of how he had sought out Mythal, better known to Neriah as Flemeth, Morrigan's mother who was the "mortal" vessel for the elven Goddess. Flemeth had willingly given her powers to Solas, in hopes that it would aid Fen'Harel in restoring their people, and help him atone for the crimes he had committed. He went on to add that Flemeth was _not_ dead, but rather petrified, and left deep in the Arbor Wilds. He could return whenever he desired, and restore Flemeth's soul and powers at a moment's notice, but first he needed to compensate for all they had done. He knew the people still needed him.

There was heavy silence between Neriah and Solas now, as they stared at each other. Neriah struggled to find words; there was so much to process. Even in her confusion, anger, betrayal, and mild excitement due to the fact that she had lain with an Elven God, she had but one question for him.

"So, is Solas even real? Or are you just a fabrication of Fen'Harel?"

Solas's brow crease returned, and he looked momentarily hurt. "Consider it as very similar to Flemeth's situation with the spirit of Mythal. Fen'Harel came to me, desiring possession of a mortal body after his slumber, in order to carry out his will. I was young, foolish, and desired power. I willingly gave my body to Fen'Harel, and he has been with me ever since." His voice was low, and Neriah could see how tortured he was. "It was I who gave Corypheus the orb, and I who made the mistakes that led to the deaths of so many in my journey to restore our people. I have made more mistakes now than I ever did before Fen'Harel came to me. It is my duty as his vessel to repair the damage I have caused; first by learning the orb's abilities, and thus restoring our people."

"So that's why you were so interested in my mark," Neriah whispered, looking down at her hand. The green mark had not bothered her in months, but it was still there. "That's why you wanted to know if it had affected me at all – to see if I had the answers."

Solas nodded slowly, "It is true; had you had any of the answers to the questions I so desperately desired, perhaps I would not have made such grave mistakes as I did."

Neriah's heart hurt. "So… I was just an informant for you? Is that all I've ever been? Is this why you told me everything, in hopes that I would help you harness this power?" She didn't even bother to try and keep the distain from her voice. Her heart was aching again, as it had when Solas had left the first time.

His eyes widened, and his mouth fell open. "What! No! Neriah, of course not!" He actually looked scared, something Neriah had never seen before. He grabbed for her hands, but she pulled them away, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.

His voice broke as he spoke, his face echoing so much pain. "Neriah, I _had_ to tell you the truth. You were too real to me, too innocent. I allowed myself to forget who I was for too long before. I was beginning to feel like an ordinary man again." He looked down, and Neriah thought she saw a single tear fall from one eye. "I knew I had to end it, or tell you everything, but you had been through enough; I did not wish to taint your innocence with my betrayals. I thought it best to leave, and not return."

"So why _did _you come back, then?" Her voice was calm, calmer than she'd expected.

He looked up at her, "I had to see you." That was an unexpected answer, and she raised an eyebrow. "I know I must atone for what I have done myself, but to spend a life without you in it, even if you no longer wished to share your heart with me, was an unbearable thought." She saw another tear fall. "I wrestled with myself for months about coming back to you. It was a few form of torture; I wanted to see you again, and the thought that I lost you forever at times felt worse than all I had done before." He looked up at her now, his eyes pleading with her, and she felt her heart stir. "That part of me, the part that is Solas, does love you, _ma vhenan._ It is because I love you that I had to leave before. It is because I love you that I came back, and it is because I love you that I am telling you this. I am not asking you to help me, Neriah, this is something I must do myself, and now I have the abilities to do so. What I am asking for is forgiveness. Forgive me, _vhenan_, for I have wronged you; I have wronged us all. _Ir abelas_; I am so sorry."

Neriah knew she shouldn't forgive him; she knew she should have left that cave, with that man in it, and returned to Skyhold alone. She should have tried to go on with her life, and allowed him to remain out of it forever; to atone in solitude.

But she also knew what her heart was telling her.

She looked into his eyes, and she knew that he was telling the truth; about all of it, even the part about Solas being real. What they had shared, what she believed they still shared, was real, and she knew he felt it too. He was a God, he was _Fen'Harel_, and if he had wanted to kill her, he would have done so already, perhaps even the night that he had removed her _vallaslin_, but he hadn't. He had let her live, and he had loved her. She didn't know why, but she could feel it. She didn't know if she would regret this, but something was telling her to just take the leap.

She slowly came to him, and took his face in her hands, pressing her lips to his softly, which caused him to let out a surprised sigh, before he gently cupped her face in his hands, and held her to him. They remained like that for a time, before Neriah broke away gently, and looked up at him.

"What do we have to do?" Was all she said.

He stared at her, his eyes widening. "What?"

She smiled lightly, hoping to every God imaginable that she was not about to regret this. "I told you already, Solas, that whatever it was, we would get through it together. You don't have to run anymore. If you need to study my mark more, we can do so when we return to Skyhold."

The look Solas gave her was unlike anything she had ever seen. His face went from shocked, to confused, to terrified, and finally to an expression of what could be described as the most pure love Neriah had ever seen in a person. He leaned forwards, and rested his forehead on hers.

"_Ma serannas, ma vhenan_." He whispered, and Neriah forced herself to smile, despite all her emotions threatening to undo her. Creators, she put up with a lot from this elf, and _that _was putting it mildly. Suddenly, she had a thought, and felt a sly smirk spread across her face. Despite everything that had happened, the moment was too perfect to pass up.

"Solas, can I ask you something?"

He smiled down at her, but noted her smirk, and his brow lifted. "Anything, _vhenan_."

She could feel a grin beginning to spread along her face. "So, does this explain why every time Cole brought you an injured cat, you looked like you wanted to start barking at it?"

* * *

**A/N: I'M SORRY FOR THAT ENDING. I SAW IT ON TUMBLR AND THOUGHT IT WAS HILARIOUS. CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE?**

**Okay, so this has been the longest chapter I've done so far; it took my around six hours, and a LOT of research to get it right; with a few adds of my own. I don't know if Solas really **_**is **_**the vessel for Fen'Harel, like Flemeth is for Mythal, or if he really **_**is**_** Fen'Harel, but I wanted to make them similar, as it has to do with how this story will end. **

**I hope everyone liked this chapter, and that my explanations weren't either too vague, or prolonged. I didn't really want to have Neriah hating on Solas again, which is why I didn't have her freak out completely. She loves him, and she knows it, which is why, despite being **_**very **_**surprised, and probably terrified, she's still appreciative that he told her the truth, no matter how out of this world it was. I'll go more into how she's going to be all "OH WELL THIS EXPLAINS WHEN YOU DID THIS" – I think we all need to have a bit of that, don't you? The elven I used here was simple. "Ma serannas" means "Thank you", and "Ir abelas" means "I'm sorry". Hope you all enjoyed so far, and everyone have a fantastic weekend! I will try to update ASAP! **


	10. Mala Suledin Nadas

**A/N: Hey y'all! I hope everyone is having a great long weekend, whether you celebrate Easter or not! I am rewarding myself for all my writing with a beer and Reese's Chocolate bunny. So worth it. I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thank you to all my lovely reviewers thus far; you are the kindle to my flame of inspiration! (That was corny, I'm sorry. [Not really]). Anyway, as promised, I have been doing my best to stay motivated to keep writing this story. I know the moment I stop for a few days, I'll lose all will to write, and I will **_**not**_** let that happen! Neriah and Solas deserve a happy ending, dammit! Also, because I seem to keep forgetting, "hahren" is an elven term used out of respect between elves. So by Neriah calling Solas that, it's just a respectful way of addressing him. He probably loves it; smug little bugger. **

**The title of this chapter means "now you must endure" which I think is fitting for this chapter, since now everything is out in the open, and Neriah knows all. Together, she and Solas must endure through this, and perhaps she can help him! We shall see. This chapter is going to be mainly fluff; you have been warned. The second arc of this tale is going to begin in the following chapter, complete with, I hope, a **_**ton**_** of Elven Lore. I'm going to have to do a **_**lot **_**research before I can submit it, to make sure that it all makes sense! Anyway, for now, here's this. Read on!**

* * *

_Chapter Ten:_

_Mala Suledin Nadas_

The journey back to Skyhold was a quiet one. After positively exasperating Solas with her comment about Cole and his cats, they had decided to leave for home, lest Neriah's ridiculous questions continue. Neriah wrestled with herself the whole time as they trekked back, trying to accept all that Solas had told her. She was still reeling about it all, and occasionally shot him a sidelong glance, trying to decipher what he was thinking. He barely looked at her on the way back, his face was like stone. She knew he was feeling just as strained as she was. Despite having attempted to convey acceptance for everything he had told her, she was still struggling to learn just how to speak around him. For the Fade's sake, this man had the souls of _two _elven Gods inside of him! Did that technically meant that she had slept with three different people at once? Creators… What must the, well, _Creators_, think of her now?

They arrived back at Skyhold just as the sun was getting high in the sky, and they hurried through the gates as quickly as they could, doing their best to avoid the questioning stares from the soldiers, citizens, and nobles that milled about in the courtyard, and by the barracks. Neriah could see Cullen speaking with a lieutenant, and did all she could to avoid his eyes try to catch hers, his expression confused. No doubt Varric had already told half of Skyhold what he and Cassandra had seen that morning, and if he hadn't, than Dorian certainly would have. After all that she had learned today, the last thing she wanted was to deal with her friends' pestering comments, and certain mockery. Not to mention the threat of murder from Sera if (not if, _once_ she found out, as she most definitely would, whether it was Neriah who mentioned it, or another) she found out. She'd have to be sure to cast a barrier around Solas once they were around their friends again.

They ascended the stairs into Skyhold itself, and returned to Solas's quarters in the rotunda, allowing him to deposit his things. Neriah stood quietly as Solas removed his pack, and leaned his staff on the wall of his room. His shoulders were hunched, and she watched as he walked around his desk, seating himself in his chair, and folding his fingers together so that he might rest his chin on them. He stared off into the Void for a moment, neither of them speaking. Neriah slowly put her staff down, and removed her coat. She walked to his desk, and rested her hand gently on his shoulder. He looked up at her, and a mild smile played across his face, before he reached back, and his hand covered hers. No words were spoken as they stood there, standing in total silence. Neriah tried to quiet her mind in the stillness; even the white noise didn't bother her. All she could focus on was the feeling of Solas's hand on hers, and the gentle drum of her heart. She made a decision in that moment.

Whatever Solas needed her to do, she would do all she could to help him. Yes, everything he had told her was incredible, terrifying, and more than she had ever expected. But it had taken a specific amount of courage and trust to tell her all he had. She wanted him to know he wasn't alone anymore. For years he had been in solitude with this burden, and he felt he had to remain that way. The idea of her had terrified him, and given him real hope for the first time in his entire life, even before Fen'Harel. She wanted him to know that, as he had said before he had left her all those months ago, what they had was _real_. He had left out of fear and shame, and she was going to help him stay out of trust and love this time. A smile tugged at her mouth, Creators, her inner monologue could sometimes be very cheesy.

She tried to think as positively about this all as she could. Solas had finally opened up to her, and for that she was incredibly grateful. All of this made a lot of things clear about him, now. An example being his inane dislike of cats, as she had already tormented him with. Not to mention the subtle, sometimes snarky comments he'd made about Fen'Harel in the past, especially when they had been at the Temple of Mythal all those months ago. Each little time Solas had brought up Fen'Harel, or the fact that he had known the orb Corypheus had had was elvish, or even when he had nearly let everything slip that time Neriah had asked when he had been in a court the night after the ball at the Winter Palace; it all made sense now. Neriah could pinpoint every damn time the elf had made little comments that had caught her off guard, or sounded odd to her. Even when Cole had mentioned something being stuck behind glass, or a mirror, whatever he had said when he had asked Solas why had had left her after taking her _vallaslin. _It. All. Made. Sense. And she could either be angry with him, or potentially use this information to better understand him.

Or torture him a little.

Any normal elven woman such as herself, or any normal woman if anything, would have probably run right out of that cave, or kicked a man out of their chambers had their situation been similar to Neriah's. But Neriah was not a normal woman; she had seen enough heartache, felt enough of it, and been through too much with Solas to just let him go again. One aspect of herself that she both loved and hated was how stubborn she was.

Suddenly, she had a thought, and a sneaky grin touched her lips. With the hand that was not on Solas's shoulder, she slowly began to trace her finger along his ear, and he started in his chair.

"_Vhenan!_" he said sharply, craning his neck to try to look at her. "What are you doing? This is hardly the time." He gently tried to remove her hand, but she took it away at her own accord, fixating him with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, and your attempt to take me against that door earlier was the right time?" She smirked when he pursed his lips at her. "Don't worry, _hahren_, I'm not trying to seduce you," _Not yet,_ she mentally added. "I just want to test something." She resumed gently stroking the tip of his pointed ear with her forefinger, and she heard a low growl come from deep within Solas's throat. Ah, so that also explained the animalistic side to him when they made love, and why he'd practically humped her that morning.

She spoke as her finger gently ran across his ear, and she could feel him stiffen in his seat, his eyes facing forward, but she knew all his senses were heightened as he waited for her to make her move. "If you truly are the Dread Wolf," she spoke softly so that no one above them could hear, "If you truly are _Fen'Harel_," her finger dipped behind his ear, running along the lobe. She heard a small hiss of air escape Solas's lips, and her grin was fixed on her face now, though he remained unaware. "If you truly are a _wolf_, then…" Her nail dug into the soft flesh of his ear, "…you should love to have your ears scratched!" Without warning, she began to scratch Solas behind the ear as quickly and efficiently as she could. No sooner had she started, did Solas jerk away from her, and stare up at her in both shock, and mild amusement.

"Neriah," his voice was steady, but she could see laughter glinting in his stormy eyes. "Is that really an appropriate response to all I shared with you?"

She let out a little laugh, and Solas's face relaxed, and she heard a soft chuckle slip from his lips. "It most certainly is!" She retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Would you rather I be devastated and traumatized?" The look on his face made her laugh again. "Because, I am, and this is how I plan to cope with it: by torturing you as best I can." She smiled triumphantly, and Solas merely stared at her, shaking his head slowly, a small smile on his face. She smiled easily at him. "I am still in mild shock about it all, Solas. But I know no amount of denial or anger can change the past. What matters is you are here now, and you have trusted me with this." She came to him and touched his face gently, and he leaned into her palm. "I want to help you in any way I can; I know I can't do much, but just name it and I'll see it's done. And," she added, "I will not tell our friends of what happened, either. No doubt you'd like to keep this between us. I can't even imagine how they'd react…" Her voice trailed off, and she shook her head, sighing. She looked back up at Solas, and smirked at him again. "Besides, you can't tell me you don't like being scratched behind the ears!" She moved to touch his ear again, but he swatted her hand away, though his eyes were affectionate. She stuck her tongue out at him, and snaked her hand past his, and began to lightly scratch his ear. She heard a low hum begin in Solas's throat, and he closed his eyes involuntarily, as he leaned into her touch.

Neriah grinned down at the elf, and worked her fingers along the base of his ear, and over his neck. If Solas had had a tail, she was almost one hundred percent sure that it would be thumping against the chair like mad right now.

When she stopped, Solas cracked a lid, and regarded her. She had to stifle a laugh when it looked like he almost wanted to start pouting at her ceasing his ear scratches. When she raised an eyebrow at him, a grin on her face, he looked away, seemingly embarrassed.

"I admit to nothing," there was a coy edge to his voice, and her smile only made his eyes glint brighter, and his cheeks turn slightly pink. "Perhaps later, _lethallan_, we might continue this. I apologize for encouraging that just now." He cleared his throat, and Neriah had to suppress a giggle. "I am certain there are many things you'd wish to ask of me." If Solas were to ever wink, that moment would have been the perfect time. Neriah was about to respond, when the door to the rotunda was flung open, and Dorian came flouncing in, followed by a grinning Varric, and an irritated looking Iron Bull.

"Well, well! Here are the two lovebirds!" Dorian crowed happily. "We all knew it was only a matter of time, but that happened much quicker than we'd all expected, I must say! Bull here lost quite a bit of coin to Master Tethras, here." He winked down at Varric, who tried to hide his huge grin from Neriah, who wanted to murder them both.

"You were betting how long it would take Solas and me to…?" She didn't even want to finish her sentence. The urge to throw the smug mage and his dwarven companion off the Skyhold's ramparts are building inside her like magma ready to burst from a volcano.

"Hey, if it helps, I bet that you'd kick his sorry elven ass out the front door." Iron Bull grumbled from behind them, his huge grey arms crossed over his massive chest, and his one good eye fixing Solas with a steely glare. "You better not make our Inquisitor cry again, you hear me, elf?" He growled, "or else you'll have us three to answer to, got it? I got no problem with you being back; I mean, I liked those hypothetical chess games you and I played, even if you are a cheating little bastard and beat me," Iron Bull grumbled under his breath, "but just don't go messing up her feelings again, understood?"

Solas had a lazy smile on his face, and Neriah gave him her best "play nice" look, as he responded to Iron Bull in an even tone. "I would not worry, Iron Bull; I do not plan on going anywhere anytime soon, nor do I plan to cause our fearless leader any further pain." He said the last part directly to Neriah, who threw him a grateful look. If only their friends understood, but they could never know, at least not right then. For now she and Solas would share in his secret, and it gave her a slight thrill knowing it.

Iron Bull seemed satisfied with that answer, and Neriah allowed herself to relax. The last thing she wanted was there to be a rift (poor choice of words) between her companions. For now, it seemed as though there was some peace to be found.

Dorian swept over between the two elves, and wrapped his arms around them both, drawing them both into a tight, albeit friendly, grip. "So Varric tells me that you two were found _cavorting_ this morning by himself and our lovely Seeker?" He removed his arm from around their shoulders to stroke his chin in mock contemplation. "Now, why ever would that have caused Cassandra to turn the color of a tomato, I wonder? From the sounds of it, you two were being quite _inventive_." He winked at them, and Neriah blanched, before feeling her cheeks heat up. Maybe she had been wrong about peace within Skyhold.

"_Inventive_?" She spluttered, and rounded on Varric, "what the Hell did you tell him?!"

Varric winked up at her, but he was slowly backing away. "Just material for my newest romance serial, Inquisitor. It's going to be quite the cheek reddener, much like yours are now!" He dodged her attempted tackle. "Do you think Cassandra would want to read it? After all, she does love my other romantic works!"

Neriah's lips disappeared into her skin as she pursed her lips, preparing to attack the insolent dwarven scholar. Just as she was about to lunge at him, someone appeared quite out of thin air between them.

"The warmth is back," Cole said simply, causing Neriah to shriek in surprise, and fall backwards, landing with a _thump_ on the floor, and Varric to trip and fall over too, in equal shock. Dorian and Iron Bull burst out laughing, and the corner of Solas's mouth was twitching with mirth as he helped Neriah to her feet. As she straightened, Neriah rounded on Cole.

"Cole, we've talked about this!" She chastised the Spirit Boy, who now stood in the middle of the rotunda, wringing his hands, and watching them with a little smile on his face.

"I'm sorry. I heard voices, I wanted to be a part of the warmth." It was the most innocent thing he had ever said, and it threw Neriah off her scolding immediately. "The warmth is back; there is a light. No more weight on his shoulders, and he can feel it all again." Cole was looking at Solas, who Neriah saw stiffen. She hadn't factored in that Cole may know who and what Solas was.

Solas smiled calmly up at Cole. "Yes, Cole, I feel a sense of peace knowing that I have made amends with the Inquisitor. I am glad to be back." There was an edge to his voice, and Neriah wondered what he was about to do.

Cole seemed unaffected by Solas's comment. "There is a clear path now, and there wasn't before. You can see an end to it all, and this time she is also there. _Ar lasa mala revas_. You – oh!" Cole's eyes widened. "It's gone again!" He sounded upset, and Neriah glanced a Solas, noting how still the elf was. Had he done something to Cole to prevent him from seeing any farther into his thoughts and feelings?

"Something wrong, kid?" Varric asked, reaching for Cole's arm. The Spirit Boy was staring at Solas, who merely shook his head ever so slightly, so only Neriah and he could see.

Cole's face went from confusion to what looked like disappointment. "I lost it; it left again. Why does it keep leaving?" He looked at Neriah, as though trying to find answers, but she remained silent. She didn't like seeing Cole like this, but for the moment it was best none of them knew the truth. She was beginning to understand why Solas hadn't told her everything before. Sometimes perhaps it _was_ better for no one else to know. At least Solas wasn't alone anymore.

Varric patted Cole's arm. "Come on, kid. It's getting late. I'll walk you back to your room. Up for a quick game of Wicked Grace to cheer you up? Remember, there's bunnies on the cards!" Cole seemed to brighten at this, and allowed the dwarf to lead him out of the rotunda, Dorian and Iron Bull following suit, probably to join them in their game. Dorian winked once at Neriah, and she rolled her eyes right back, before throwing her friend a quick grin, as he closed the door behind them.

Once they were alone again, she turned to Solas. "You made Cole forget, didn't you? So he couldn't see into your mind?"

Solas nodded gravely. "I do not like controlling Cole's thoughts as I did, but at this moment it is necessary. None, except you, may know what I have told you. It would not be right." Neriah nodded, and he smiled at her. "I am certain Cole will figure out what I am doing eventually; perhaps one day he may know, but not tonight." He stood, stretching his limbs, and cracking his neck lightly. "Varric is correct, however, about it becoming late." He smiled fondly at her. "Perhaps you should get some rest, _vhenan_. Tomorrow, if you like, we can begin looking into your mark. There are a few books in the lower library of Skyhold that I have been meaning to read. I had also hoped to speak with Morrigan about her work with the _Eluvians_, as well. Perhaps she can shed some light on the Crossroads, and how I may free the Elven Gods." He kissed her forehead lightly, and bid her a good night, before she exited his room. Their renewed relationship was still too fresh for them to be spending the night together again, and Neriah understood his apprehension.

She walked across the Main Hall, ignoring all the looks the nobles were giving her, not to mention the knowing smiles from Leliana and Josephine as they came walking out of the War Room, passing her as she scurried for her quarters. She wasn't in the mood to gossip with those too just yet. She hurried through the door, and plunged herself into the grateful darkness of the passage leading up to her room.

Once she had ascended the stairs to her bedroom, she stood there for a moment, allowing everything that had happened to slowly sink it. In spite of everything that had happened in the last few weeks, in spite of Solas's return, her renewing of her feelings towards him, their first intimate moment together, and finding out that he was a vessel for an ancient, long though unreal, Elven God, she felt an odd sense of happiness wash over her. For so long she had lived in uncertainty, not knowing why he had left, not knowing if he lived or died, and not knowing what her future had in store for her. Notwithstanding all that had happened so quickly, she actually felt happy for the first time in months. Not to mention she was still slightly giddy over the fact that she had bedded an Elven God. Not many people, if anyone, could say that. There had been mages she'd met in the past in her travels who had bragged about bedding Desire Demons and living through it without becoming possessed; oh now, her stories were eons better than those.

She lay down on her bed and drifted into the Fade, she found herself back in the glade in Crestwood, and Solas was waiting for her, his hand extended towards her. As she moved towards him, she could feel the presence of the two Elven Gods his body housed watching over them, and when he embraced her she wondered, if she'd be able to speak with them, if they would approve of it all.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, I know this one was shorter, but I needed a filler chapter before launching into the second arc of this fic! I just wanted some added fluff, and Neriah making fun of Solas for a bit, to lighten the mood of this story a little. I'm sorry if this chapter wasn't very good. I was out all day, and only have about two hours to get this chapter out tonight before I hit the sack! I also found the most AMAZING SolasxLavellan video on YouTube! It's called "Dragon Age Inquisition: Solas x Lavellan – Scientist" and it's SO GOOD. Go forth and YouTube. Do it! And eat lots of chocolate for me this weekend! I have already eaten SO much. No regrets. **

12


	11. Elvhenan

**A/N: Alright, folks! Here comes the second arc to our story! I wanted to get everything figured out in the first half, establishing Solas's and Neriah's relationship, and get him to tell her everything, etc. Now that all that mushy, smutty crap is out of the way, we can finally being getting into the good stuff! Not that the stuff before wasn't good, but it **_**was **_**just fluff, after all. The title of this chapter means "Place of our people". I figured since Solas and Neriah are going to spend this chapter learning about the elves, the title should have to do with just that: elves. It was also a happy accident that that word sounded like "eleven", which is the chapter number. Clever, no? Tee hee. Enjoy!**

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_Chapter Eleven:_

_Elvhenan_

One thing Neriah had come to love about Skyhold was the fact that, deep within the mountains it had been built upon, there were hot springs, and tunnels filled with heated, clean water. The previous inhabitants of Skyhold had used this to their advantage, and created showers in various spots throughout the hold, allowing users to bathe in warm, wonderful water. Neriah had been lucky enough to have one such shower in her own room. It was tucked away in the small closet-like area behind her bed, and finished with smooth stones, which kept the heat and steam in, so that she was never cold.

How the funneling of the water worked relatively simply. Essentially, there was a small opening in one of the three stone walls of the small shower, hidden only by a small, wooden panel. Upon moving of the panel, one would find a small grate, with many smalls, needle sized holes across is. The first inhabitants of Skyhold had used an older method of irrigation to funnel the water up to the highest point in Skyhold, in order to have it flow through the stones walls of Neriah's quarters. When the wooden panel was moved, the flowing water behind it would filter through, and spill into the stone shower, raining down on whoever was standing in it. There was a drain on the floor of the shower, and the water would drain down through the hold, coming out as a water fall that lead through the prisons, and tumbled off the edge of Skyhold, and down into the huge ravine below. The rest of the water was funnelled through the lower portion ok Skyhold, where the barracks and healers lived, allowing them access to warmed water whenever they needed it. Neriah's quarters were an exception to funnelling the water upwards. She often wondered if a sort of King or Queen, or perhaps Lord of Lady, had lived there in the ancient fortress. Perhaps she would ask Solas about that later, since he now had a _lot_ of explaining to do about all the times everything he had said seemed suspicious to her.

Neriah showered quickly, and dressed herself in fresh clothing, before hurrying out of her room, down the stairs, and into the already crowded Main Hall. She could see the sun filtering through the beautiful, Orlesian windows. Though she wasn't a huge fan of the fancy balls that were held in Orlais, or in Halamshiral for that matter, she had to admit their architecture was really quite extraordinary. Leliana was Orlesian, and she and Josephine, who was Antivan, had both insisted that Neriah do something about the décor in Skyhold, saying that the Ferelden banners were boring, and that Qunari ones were too rugged. Neriah hadn't really cared about what kind of décor her fortress had had, just as long as they had defeated Corypheus.

She had given the two women permission to decorate her hold as they saw fit, and had come home from an exhibition to the Emerald Graves one day to find it looking like this. The two had been so excited to show her, and even through her shock, and slight blinding from how damn _sparkly_ everything was, she had told them they had done a good job. Dorian and Varric had made fun of her for a week after that. Sera had wanted to vomit, Iron Bull asked indignantly what had been wrong with his decorative ideas (which consisted of bulky, uncomfortable furniture, and simple wooden tables). Blackwall had taken one look at the Main Hall, and turned right around and walked out again, grumbling about it being too bright. Cassandra had scolded Leliana and Josephine for taking too much time decorating rather than focusing on the task at hand, and Solas and Cole had just looked uncomfortable. Cole had mumbled something that sounded like, "Shiny, like the sun," and Vivienne had been all over it. The Enchantress had developed a close relationship with Josephine and Leliana after that, probably because she was high into fashion and appearances like they were. Neriah had found it all very exhausting.

She strode across the Main Hall, nodding once or twice to the visiting Nobles as she made her way to Solas's room to get started on their research. Just as she was about to reach for the handle to the door, someone called out to her.

"Neriah! There you are!" She turned, and found Dorian standing behind her, a good-natured smirk on his tanned face. She raised an eyebrow, surprised to find the Tevinter Mage awake so early, and in the Main Hall. He normally spent his nights with Iron Bull in Herald's Rest, and his mornings making a very big show of sleeping in as long as he could, making an appearance around noon, earning him exasperated looks from their friends.

"Dorian," she greeted him warmly, though her eyes drifted to the door to Solas's room; she really didn't want to keep the elf waiting. "How are you?" She gave him her best smile, but Dorian saw right through it.

"I wanted to speak with you, do you have a moment?" He noted her eyes drift back to the door, and his grin widened. "Don't worry, dear, I won't keep you from your handsome elven companion long." He winked at her, and offered her his arm. Neriah felt a smile tug at her mouth, and she nodded once, taking her friend's arm, and he led her from the Main Hall. They walked to Skyhold's gardens, and stopped there. It was early enough that there weren't many people milling there yet, so they had a bit of privacy to talk. Neriah wondered vaguely what Dorian wanted.

He turned to her once they had seated themselves on a bench in the garden, and his eyes were kind. "I wanted to first begin by giving you my upmost apologies for my behavior last night. It was wrong of myself, Varric, and Iron Bull to embarrass you and Solas like that." He placed a hand on her knee, his smile easy and reassuring. "I do hope you can forgive us."

Neriah blinked, surprised by his apology. She hadn't actually been angry with her friends, only slightly traumatized. It was her turn to dramatically sigh, and look away from him. "Oh, I don't know, Dorian. My heart has been so wounded by your actions." She glanced back down at her friend, and his grin was as wide as ever.

"We only meant it in good fun, my dear Lady Inquisitor." When Neriah grinned back, he leaned away from her, folding his hands neatly in his lap. "I must apologize on behalf of Iron Bull, as well. He means well, he just does not always know the best way to express himself." He fixed her with a concerned gaze now. "We all care for you, Neriah, and we all want your happiness, no matter how you find it."

Neriah felt her heart warm at this, and she reached over and squeezed Dorian's hand. "Thank you, Dorian. I appreciate it."

"Are you happy though, Neriah?" He asked suddenly, his gaze serious, something that was rare for the Tevinter Magister. "Honestly?"

Neriah looked taken aback. She hadn't expected Dorian to ask her such a serious question. She sat back, looking at her friend, not sure if she should be laughing, or worried. She realized that she'd been sitting there just staring at him, and she could see a slow smile start to form on his face.

"Your silence is very reassuring, Neriah." Dorian chided her, prodding her in the ribs. She jumped, and swatted his hand away.

"Of course I'm happy, Dorian." She playfully shoved him as he attempted to poke her again.

He pulled his hand back, and his lazy smile was back, and he squared his shoulders, looking down at her. "Good," was all he said, looking cheery.

Neriah let out a small half laugh, half sigh. She gave Dorian an exasperated look. "That's it? By the Creators, Dorian, I thought you were setting that up to be some kind of interrogation!" The mage chuckled at her annoyance, and she aimed a jab at his ribs, but he blocked her easily.

"Neriah, I have known you for almost two years now," He leaned back against the bench, allowing his head to fall back into a resting place, his eyes closed in comfort. Neriah watched him from the tip of the bench, her fingers curled over its edges. "And because I have known you for that long, you have become my friend, as I am sure you already know." He opened one eye, and winked at her, which earned him an eye roll in response. "I'm serious," He opened both eyes, sitting up and turning his body to face her. He took her hands in his, pressing them to his mouth for a moment, something Dorian often did to show his affection for his close friends, especially Neriah. "Neriah, I remember the look on your face the eve after we defeated Corypheus, and you left the celebration and went to your chamber in private. Do you remember?"

Neriah felt her eyebrows knit together. During the festivities after Corypheus had been killed, and Solas had left, Neriah had been idling in the Main Hall among her companions. The sound, chatter, and music had been too much for her to bear at the time, and she had left the party earlier than everyone else, hurrying up to her room to be alone, and allow the exhaustion and pain from that day take her. She had been standing on her balcony, overlooking the Frostback Mountains, when Dorian had found her. He had come looking for her after he'd realized that she had vanished. Upon finding her, she had turned, and he had seen the tears running down her face. He didn't ask what had happened, because he'd already known. The rest of the evening was spent holding her while she had cried into his robes. He had every right to be worried for her now, just as he had been back then.

"Of course I remember, Dorian," she said gently, squeezing his hands. "But that was so long ago. I have learned to let go of the past since then." This seemed to satisfy Dorian; he had never really been one to discuss emotions and feelings, especially his own, with anyone.

"Most excellent," he threw her his most bedazzling smile, and Neriah felt a laugh slip out. "Because, you know, if our lovely elven friend _does_ cause you pain again, I cannot promise I will not turn him into a newt and feed him to the Mabari." Her shocked expression caused him to laugh. "That's not even the worst of it! Perhaps the kindest outcome, actually. I can't hardly imagine what Iron Bull and Sera would do to him."

Neriah stared at him, her face the perfect picture of both amusement and slight horror. Dorian threw back his head and laughed merrily, while gently taking her shoulder in his hands.

"You must understand something, Neriah. None of us _hate_ Solas, per say. We were all just not very impressed by his leaving so suddenly." He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I had only just gotten used to his dry humor, too. Pity he had to go." He looked down at her, his expression gentle and friendly. "I must admit, it is nice to have him back again, despite all the drama associated with his departure and arrival. I know for a fact Cole missed him very much, and I think even Sera missed being able to bother him about everything "elfy", as she would say."

Neriah felt relief flood her veins. She tested the waters carefully, "So… I have the blessing of all our friends, then?" She gave Dorian her cheesiest, fakest smile, and the mage chuckled good-naturedly.

"You do not need our blessings to make your own choices, Neriah. That is what I was trying to tell you," he held her at arm's length. "We love you, and we just want you to be happy, and in a good place. If that good place is with Solas, if that is what you truly believe, then we will support you." He had a twinkle in his eye, "I can't promise that there won't be the occasional threat on his life from Sera or Iron Bull, but just know we love and support you both." He winked at her, and Neriah felt a grin slide onto her face.

She reached over and hugged her friend, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Dorian. It means a lot to hear you say that," _Especially given everything that's happened_, she thought.

Their friendship moment was cut short by a loud, "_Oi!_" from near the entrance to the gardens. They both turned, and saw Sera stomping towards them, her hands balled into fists.

"I was eavesdropping," she began, and Neriah rolled her eyes. Who out of their friends _didn't_ eavesdrop recently? "And I just wanted to say, if that piss-bag hurts you again, I'm stickin' him with the pointy end!" she brandished a small dagger violently in front of Neriah an Dorian's faces, and they both leaned away in fear of the mad elf. Sera leaned _very_ close to Neriah's face, and bared her teeth in a sneer. "And I _don't_ mean my dagger." She then turned on her heel, and marched away, her hands on her narrow hips.

After a moment of stunned silence, Dorian turned to grin at Neriah. "And that there is Sera's way of saying she loves you, too."

Somewhere in the distance, they heard a yell of, "You're fockin' right I do, ya sparkly ninny!" And they erupted into laughter.

Once they had calmed, Dorian stood up, as did Neriah, and they embraced tightly. Dorian planted a friendly kiss on the top of her head, and ruffled her hair. "No, go on to your elven apostate. We've kept him waiting long enough, I think." He winked at her once, before sauntering away in the direction of Herald's Rest, no doubt to go find Iron Bull. Neriah watched him walk away, and she couldn't help but grin like a happy idiot as she walked back through the gardens, and into the Main Hall, heading for Solas's chambers once again.

Solas was sitting at his desk, muttering over an old piece of parchment, when Neriah walked in. He looked up, and upon seeing it was her, the worry line on his brow vanished, and he stood to greet her, a little smile on his face.

"Ah, _vhenan_, there you are. I was worried you had gotten lost." He was smiling, but Neriah could see small signs on exasperation as well.

She gave him a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry, I was on my way here right after I woke up, but Dorian headed me off in the hall." Upon seeing Solas's raised eyebrow, she smiled at him. "All good things, I promise." This seemed to appease him, and he smiled down at her.

"I hope you are ready for a long day of research, _lethallan_." He gathered a few pieces of parchment in his hands, as well as an old, leather journal. "We must make for the lower library if we are to get started." She nodded, and he swept past her, opening and holding the door for her, and she hurried through, hearing the door swing shut behind them.

* * *

Creators, the lower library was _dark_, and _cold_, and Neriah thought she could smell mold, as it was very damp as well. She could hear rushing water somewhere in the distance, and wondered if they were close to the prisons, where all the run off from the showers went. She cupped her hands over her mouth, breathing into them in order to send warmth to her freezing fingers.

"It's so _cold_," she complained, rubbing her hands together, while throwing Solas a look of discomfort.

He gave her a small, apologetic smile, "I know; I am sorry, _vhenan_. The lower library is not often used, and there is little warmth that comes through here… Or anyone to clean it," he added, wrinkling his nose at all the dust that surrounded them.

Neriah breathed out, and saw her breath come out in a puff of steam. She furiously rubbed her hands on her ears to warm them. One thing she disliked about being an elf was that it was rare to find a hat or anything that fit over her ears. "Where are we going to set up?" She asked, looking around them in the darkness of the tunnels. "It's so dark down here."

Solas pointed down the hall, "There; that way." Neriah noticed a soft glow coming from the end of the tunnel. "I scouted down here last night after we parted ways; I believe I have found a suitable spot for us to begin." Neriah followed him down the hall, until they came to a small table and two chairs. There were a few candles lit, and a large stack of older, weathered looking books. Solas stopped here, and removed the pack that carried his parchment, and placed the books he carried onto the table as well. "I came back here this morning and set up; I hope we can work comfortably here." He gave Neriah was sidelong glance, and she nodded. That seemed to please him. "Excellent, then let us begin." He pulled out a chair and sat down, gesturing to the one across from him. Neriah took the hint, and sat herself down in the old, wooden chair, its legs groaning in protest as she settled in.

Solas had already picked up one of the books, and was thumbing through the old pages, his brow furrowed. Neriah watched him in silence for a moment before getting the courage to speak. "Where do we start?"

Solas glanced up at her, and put the book down. He laced his fingers together, and rested his head on them, his stormy eyes carefully inspecting her face. After a moment, he spoke. "Let us begin with something simple: do you have any questions for me, _lethallan_? I know I still have much to explain to you."

Neriah brightened at this. She did indeed have _many_ questions for him, and she had secretly been hoping he'd ask her to share them with him. She sat on her hands, her legs kicking lightly against the base of the chair, as she thought about what she wanted to ask him first. She tilted her head, and her silver hair fell in her eyes momentarily, and she blew it out of the way in a huff. She saw a small smirk flit across Solas's face for a moment.

"You've let your hair grow since I last saw you," he remarked softly, and the corner of her mouth turned up in a small smile.

"I've been far too busy to worry about cutting it," Neriah's hair was my no means long, but her bangs had gotten slightly out of hand in the last six months. She really did need a haircut. She chewed her lower lip, finally coming up with her first question. "Alright, Solas, here is my first question: where exactly are the Elven Gods? What did you," a pause, and a small smile of apology, "what did _Fen'Harel_, do to them? Where did he send them?"

Solas leaned back in his chair, his expression one of thoughtful resolve. He seemed to be thinking about how exactly he was going to answer her. His eyes moved around their darkened room within the library, and the shadows danced along the walls with the light from the candles. He finally looked back down at her, his face the perfect picture of composure.

"An age ago," he began, his voice quiet and deliberate, "Fen'Harel sealed the Elven Gods away in the Eternal City within the Beyond, known to the humans, and mages, as the Fade." He leaned forward on his hands again, watching her over the flames of the candle. Neriah was heavily reminded of a wolf, the way the light and shadows moved across Solas's face. His eyes seemed to glow in the dark, and she shifted nervously in her chair. "The Dread Wolf locked the Elven Gods away in the Eternal City, as they continuously warred with one another and, being the Rebel God, he wanted to cease the turmoil of his people. Fen'Harel thusly went into hibernation," So that explained what Solas had meant when he said when he had awoken, he had been too weak to unlock the power of the orb he had given Corypheus.

"However, Fen'Harel's intent was a foolish endeavor, and during his slumber, and the imprisonment of the Elven Gods, the _Elvhenan_ lost touch with their Gods, thusly losing wars and their lands to the _Shemlen_, and becoming their slaves." As he spoke, Neriah noted how sad his eye had become. He looked so tired in the firelight, as though there was a great weight on his shoulders that he could not lift. "Upon waking, Fen'Harel realized that his plan had failed, and his people had lost everything. He attempted to unlock the power of his elven _foci_, his Orb of Destruction, but could not, for he was too weak. Then gave the orb to one he knew who would perhaps be able to harness the power it held." _Corypheus_, Neriah thought. "But he was more wrong than he had been before, and Corypheus corrupted the orb, seeking to enter the Fade physically, as you have twice now." Solas reached out slowly, taking her left hand in his, the one with the Mark on it, and slowly turned her hand over, so her palm was facing up. The Mark glowed dully in the darkness. "He sought to enter the Eternal City, hereby restoring the Tevinter Imperium to its former glory." A slow smile spread across Solas's face now, "But he failed." She felt him squeeze her hand, but his face still housed a great pain. "My only regret, is the loss my Fen'Harel's orb. Because of this, I no longer have a means to enter the Fade physically again. That is, until, you did it twice."

His finger gently ran across the Mark on her hand, and her fingers twitched. Solas looked up at her, and she gave him an embarrassed smile. "Sorry, it tickles a little when you do that." Solas's face relaxed, and he let out a small chuckle, before releasing her hand. Neriah looked at him, her eyes going from his face to her hand, and back again. "So, what you're trying to do is find a way of entering into the Fade physically again, and get to the Elven Gods?" When Solas nodded slowly, it only caused more questions to rise within her to ask him. "But, if they are freed, what happens then? The Gods come back, and then what? The elves are free; won't that cause another war? What do you hope to accomplish from this?" His look of confusion made her continue on without taking time to breathe. "I mean, I know I said I wanted the elven people restored, but I meant out culture, and knowing the truth behind it all. Not necessarily unleashing a whole boat-load of angry Elven Gods."

Solas's smile was sad and exhausted. "I know how it may sound, _vhenan_, but there is little else we can do." He looked down at his hand, folded neatly on the table. Neriah noted how white his knuckles were, and she realized he was clenching his fingers. "To know how poorly I failed The People, and all the destruction and death I caused… It sickens me greatly." His eyes were fierce when he looked back up at her. "I would see the _Elvhenan_ restored fully. I would see them rise up, knowing their _vallaslins _are symbols of slavery; knowing that they did not have to be subjugated to fearing humans, or living in the forests like animals." There was so much bitterness in his voice, and Neriah gently reached out to him, placing her hands over his. This seemed to calm him a bit, and his shoulders relaxed, and his eyes softened.

"I know this may all seem drastic, Neriah, but the pain I feel in my soul is very real, and I cannot sate it by simply doing nothing. I must find a way to enter into the Eternal City, by any means necessary, and free the Pantheon."

Neriah bit her lip, and looked away from him for a moment, wondering how in all of Thedas they were going accomplish this, and how the hell she was going to help him. Suddenly, a memory flashed in her mind, and she whirled to face him again, her sudden movement making him jump.

"Is something the matter, _vhenan_?" He asked, tensing.

Neriah stared at him, her mind whirring like a gear. "Cole." She said simply.

Solas looked confused, and raised an eyebrow at her questioningly. "Cole?"

She nodded her head furiously, "Yes, Solas, _Cole_. Do you remember when we were heading to find Lyna and help her against the Darkspawn?" A nod. "Well, the first night we were on our way there, I eavesdropped on a conversation between you and Cole." Solas's face turned to red at that comment that she nearly started laughing, but forced herself to press on, lest she never get out what she was trying to say. "You two were talking about you and me; about how you broke it off with me so suddenly, and Cole was asking you why." He looked so embarrassed now, but she ignored it. "This isn't about that, don't worry. It's about what Cole said before you made him forget. Yes, I noticed you did that then too, because he was about to realize what you are." She added when Solas's eyes widened slightly. She was talking a mile a minute, but she didn't care; she was too excited. "He said something about "they sleep, masked in a mirror, hiding, hurting, and to wake them," – he was referring to the Elven Gods, wasn't he?" She was trying not to grin about her revelation, but was failing miserably. When Solas didn't answer right away out of shock, her voice raised. "Wasn't he, Solas?" He nodded once, and her mouth split in a huge grin. "I think Cole was talking about the _Eluvians_, wasn't he?" Realization began to dawn on Solas's face, and she could feel her excitement threatening to boil over.

"And if one enters an active _Eluvian_…" Solas began, never breaking eye contact with her.

Neriah stood up, her limbs singing with pent up energy and joy. "Corypheus wasn't trying to get the _Eluvian_ from the Temple of Mythal in order to enter into Skyhold, or somewhere else in Thedas. He was trying to enter the Crossroads, just as Morrigan told me!" She began to pace, "If Cole saw them hidden in mirrors, could that mean that there is a way to enter into the Fade through there? Through the Crossroads?"

Solas's face broke out in the biggest smile Neriah had ever seen. He stood as well, grabbing his things off the table, and turning to her. "There is only one way to find out. Come, we must hurry. We need to find Morrigan."

* * *

**A/N: There it is, everyone! In my opinion, the best chapter I have ever written for this fic. I had such a great time researching the elven lore for "Dragon Age" – I had like a million tabs open, it was crazy. Not to mention my own excitement was building while I was writing that last bit! I love when characters both realize something, and they get all excited. Best part about writing. I do hope the lore made sense, and that my facts tie in well together. **

**When Solas mentioned "The Pantheon", he was referring to the "Elven Pantheon", which is often used to describe all the elves as a whole. I am so excited to write more! I still need to figure out some filler stuff, but there is this so far! Hope you all enjoyed! R&amp;R, please! **


	12. Eluvian

**A/N: Hey all! Hope everyone's week has started out well – mine certainly has! I made a funny SolasxLavellan edit on Tumblr, and it's gotten 57 notes so far! I am officially famous. Best day. Anyway, this chapter is going to cover more Elven Lore, so get ready! **

**The title of this chapter means mirror, as we all know, or "looking glass", or whatever. It'll make sense, I swear. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Chapter Twelve:_

_Eluvian_

Neriah's heart felt like it was sitting in her mouth. All her senses were heightened, and her throat felt dry, but she didn't care. Her excitement was building to the point of bubbling over, as she and Solas raced up the stairs, back into the Main Hall, and out the door into the gardens to find Morrigan. She couldn't believe she hadn't seen it before. She had been so preoccupied with her heart ruling her emotions at the time that she had failed to really register what Cole had been saying to Solas at the time. But now… Now they had a lead. If she was right, if Solas was right, then maybe this wasn't going to be as hard as they thought it would be.

Morrigan was nowhere to be found when they entered the garden, Neriah skidding to a stop, and Solas nearly running right into her back. She craned her neck, searching for the black-haired witch, but saw no sign of her. She did, however, see her son, Kieran, playing nearby. He was seated by the gazebo where she had once played chess with Cullen, playing with what looked like some small, wooden toys, no doubt made my Blackwall. The warrior had taken a shine to the boy since the defeat of Corypheus, and peace had set in for a while. He'd started making small toys for the child, who had been exceptionally grateful, and Morrigan had seemed happy to have someone else to help her entertain her son, as she could become very busy working on magical studies and researching elven artifactswith Neriah most days.

The two elves hurried up to Kieran, who looked up at them with his large, amber eyes. He really did have King Alistair's eyes, Neriah mused, as she looked down at the boy. The only way Lyna and Alistair had survived the Fifth Blight and defeated the Archdemon without succumbing to the taint the creature unleashed upon death, was because Morrigan had performed a dark ritual, which had involved conceiving a child with a Grey Warden, that Warden having been Alistair. She had promptly left Ferelden to Orlais with her unborn son and, ten years later, Neriah had met her. Now, Morrigan and her son lived in Skyhold, as permanent members of the Inquisition. If Morrigan had ever wanted to leave, Neriah doubted she'd have been able to. Despite his quiet nature, her companions quite liked Kieran, his innocent demeanor giving them a sense of calmness amongst the constant presence of war within the fortress.

"Inquisitor," Kieran's voice was soft, as he looked up at her and Solas. His large eyes wandered to Solas, "You came back." He said simply, putting down one of his toys. "Mother said you came back; I think it makes the Inquisitor happy." He smiled up at them both, and Neriah felt an involuntary smile pass along her face. It was difficult not to smile when the boy did, we was quite adorable, if a little odd.

Solas broke in between the two, in order to keep things moving as expeditiously as possible. "It is actually your mother we are seeking, Kieran. Have you seen her?"

The child tilted his head, looking up at Solas, his eyes wandering over his face. "She was in her study earlier, looking at that big mirror again. I don't know why she keeps looking at it." His brow furrowed, and he looked down at his toys, clearly wanting to get back to playing.

Neriah smiled fondly down at him. "Thank you Kieran, that is exactly where we were hoping to find her. We'll let you get back to your game." She ruffled his hair, and he smiled up at her, before returning to his toys as though Neriah and Solas had never been there at all.

The elves exchanged looks, before hurrying to the room where Morrigan kept her _Eluvian_. Neriah knocked once, hoping that Morrigan hadn't entered the mirror again, so that they'd be able to speak with her. To her luck her heard a soft, "You may enter," from inside, and she slowly opened the door.

Morrigan was seated in a large chair by the _Eluvian_, which glowed softly in the dim, gold light of the room. The huge mirror towered above then, and Neriah took a moment to appreciate the vastness of the elven artifact. It was at least fifteen feet high, and eight feet wide, and the glass swirled and glowed, though she knew it was currently inactive, as it was not humming. It usually hummed whenever Morrigan activated its power, and entered into the Crossroads.

Morrigan looked up at Neriah and Solas walked in, promptly closing the book she had been reading, and stood to greet them. For a human, she was quite tall, at least a few inches taller than Neriah, but not quite as tall as Solas, who was taller than the average elven male. She wasn't wearing her usual garb, which consisted of a rather revealing red cowl, and black leather skirt. Instead, she wore a simply, black dress, though the neckline was a little low for Neriah's liking. Her black hair was done up in a loose bun, and her bangs fell across her face in their usual sweeping fashion. Her golden eyes were warm upon seeing them. While some were intimidated by Morrigan upon first meeting her (Creators knew Neriah had been), Neriah knew that the witch had a kind heart, and would do anything she could to protect those she loved, as Neriah had seen when Kieran had gone missing and they had found him with her mother and his grandmother, Flemeth, who housed the spirit of Mythal in her physical body.

"If it isn't the Inquisitor, to what do I owe the pleasure, my friend?" Morrigan asked, inclining her head to Neriah, before glancing at Solas. "And Solas, as well? 'Tis a surprise, I must admit, to see you here again." Her eyes were knowing, but she kept her tone even. She turned back to Neriah, "Did you need something, Inquisitor?" The _Eluvian_ glowed softly beside them, and Neriah glanced at it. Morrigan noticed her eyes, and smiled. "The _Eluvian_ is quiet, Inquisitor; it has been for some time."

Solas stepped passed Neriah, "It is because of the _Eluvian_ that we are here, Morrigan."

The witch raised a dark brow, "Oh? And why is that?"

Neriah saw Solas falter, and she knew what he was thinking. Morrigan was Flemeth's daughter, and despite all that the woman had been put through by the famed "Witch of the Wilds", she still cared for her, Neriah could see that. She knew Solas was probably worried about how much he should tell Morrigan, as it was because of him that Flemeth now lay possibly petrified, or possibly dead, deep within the Arbor Wilds. Neriah herself didn't know how Morrigan would react if Solas told her everything, but she also knew they had little choice at this point. Of everyone who inhabited Skyhold, Neriah truly felt that Morrigan was perhaps the only person who would both believe them, and perhaps not judge too harshly. After all, she herself had learned that her own mother had been planning to take over her body ten years ago, hence why she had fled to Orlais with the just-conceived Kieran after the Blight had ended. Lucky for her, Flemeth had admitted that she would be unable to possess an unwilling host, should it have come to that, and since returning Kieran to Morrigan willingly, she had let her bed.

Solas looked tense, and Neriah could tell that Morrigan was beginning to pick up on it, since her eyebrow was still raised, and a small smirk was pulling at the corners of her mouth. Neriah gently reached out and touched Solas's hand, and for an instant he jerked away, appearing burned. But when he looked down at Neriah, and saw how earnest her face was, he seemed to relax. She nodded to him once, and he returned it slowly, understanding what they must do. He looked back at Morrigan, his face calm, and his posture firm.

"We have –" he paused and corrected himself, "I have come to ask a favor of you, Morrigan. Might we go somewhere more private to discuss?"

Morrigan fixed Solas with a questioning, albeit slightly amused look. "'Tis no better place than here, Solas. None bother me while my doors are closed." She seated herself back in her chair, looking up at them both, her eyes moving between them. "Something troubles you, Solas; and you, Neriah." Her eyes fell on Neriah, who tried her best not to look guilty. "Come, sit; tell me what you wish of me." She gestured to the other chairs within the room, and the two elves exchanged a look, before seating themselves. Neriah watched as Solas took a breath, his eyes observing Morrigan carefully, as he chose the proper words.

Finally, he spoke with a sigh, "Where to begin…"

* * *

Morrigan sat back in her chair, her face calm, reserved. Her posture was perfect, yet the hands in her lap gripped each other in a while knuckle grasp. Her body was ridged, and Neriah was worried the woman would turn to stone at a moment's notice. Solas had finished telling Morrigan everything, and now the witch was merely sitting there, her normally pale face whiter than usual, and her golden eyes darkened to a deep honey, her lips pursed. Neriah had no idea what she was thinking, and it was beginning to worry her.

Finally, after what felt like an age, she spoke. "Is she dead." It wasn't a question.

It had taken Neriah leaping between the two to stop Morrigan from turning Solas to ash when he had first told her what had happened to Flemeth. Neriah had never seen Morrigan so angry before. Now, however, she was eerily calm, and Neriah didn't know which she disliked more.

Solas spoke carefully, choosing his words wisely. "No; at least, not that I know of. Her body is petrified, and as such, if I desire, her powers and soul can be returned, and she will live as she did before."

Morrigan exhaled slowly, her body still tense, but her hands no longer desperately gripping one another. "So, this was Mother's plan all along: to give Mythal and her soul to Fen'Harel, should he fail." Her expression was thoughtful, before a light, bitter, laugh escaped her. "I should have known; she would have never merely taken Urthemiel's soul from Kieran without having a reason." She looked back at Solas and Neriah, her eyes sad, but for the most part understanding. "And you believe that the Elven Gods are trapped within the _Eluvians_?"

"Not the _Eluvians_ themselves, no." Solas's voice was barely above a whisper, and Neriah had to strain her ears to hear him. "They are trapped in the Eternal City, and ours," he paused, smiling slightly at Neriah, "Well, Neriah's, thought is that there is a way to enter the Fade through the Crossroads, as Corypheus was attempting to do. By doing this, he wanted to enter the Fade physically, as we did."

"And you wish me to aid you in accomplishing this," Morrigan said slowly, her eyes narrowed. "Do you not feel this may be a both futile and dangerous endeavor, Solas?"

Solas sat up straighter, and Neriah noted how proud his posture and face were as he spoke. "I know the risks, Morrigan, do not worry. I now possess, within a single form, the souls of two Elven Gods, and the famed "Witch of the Wilds", lest you forget. I am far better prepared now than I ever was when I allowed Corypheus to taken the orb." Neriah mentally noted how Solas switched back and forth from saying "I" and "Fen'Harel". Was the Dread Wolf more prominent in Solas's mind and body than she had realized?

Neriah spoke now, having been silent the entire time. "Morrigan," she addressed her friend, who turned her steely gaze from Solas to her, and it warmed slightly. "We would not ask for your help if we did not absolutely have no other options. I know the last thing you probably want to do is get involved with all this."

Morrigan's face changed from anger and bitterness to a small smile. "On the contrary, Neriah, I find this all fascinating, if a little surprising, and somewhat disconcerting. The idea of being able to find out how the ancient elves moved from _Eluvian _to _Eluvian_ is something I have wished to learn for a time now. 'Tis an exciting thing to know I may now have the opportunity to do such a thing. However," her voice went cold again, and she turned her gaze to Solas, "to aid the one who now has my own mother's soul and very essence, and who aided Corypheus, whether accidental or not, to begin that Blight, does not bode well." She turned to look back at Neriah again, "I wish to help you, Inquisitor, and offer what knowledge I can, however given the circumstance…" Her voice trailed off.

Neriah didn't miss a beat. "Take some time to think Morrigan; take all the time you need. I understand how hard this must be for you to take in. I'm sorry, but there was no gentler way of telling you. Trust me, I know how it feels." She could feel Solas shoot her a glare, but ignored him. "When you have come to a decision, please feel free to seek either myself or Solas out." She smiled at her friend, who gave her a grateful smile.

"'Tis most generous of you, Inquisitor." Morrigan turned her attention to Solas again. "Know that I am not angry with you, Solas, more so than I am in mild shock. I know my mother most definitely had this planed from the start, as she had plans for me from when I was but a little girl living in the Korcari Wilds. I know now that we cannot escape the plans that Flemeth has for us." She looked down, and then back up at them both. "I know what you say is true. After all, I bathed in the waters in the Temple of Mythal, and I feel her here, now. I know it comes from you, Solas." She sighed, shaking her head slightly, before speaking again, "Please, allow me time to process this, and I will seek out at your earliest convenience."

Before Solas could retort, Neriah grabbed him by his hand, and dragged him to the door, despite his grunt of protest. "Thank you, Morrigan, we will let you be now. Thank you for taking time to speak with us." Neriah called over her should as she shoved Solas out into the hall, waving to Morrigan, who looked slightly perplexed. Just as they were nearly out the door, Solas turned and spoke to Morrigan over Neriah's flailing limbs to try and get him out without any further interruptions.

"I neglected to mention one more thing that your mother told me, Morrigan." Solas's voice was even, despite his attempts to swat Neriah away as she tried to shove him out the door. "She said, after this is all over, that she wishes to pass along her God-hood onto you, her only, and capable, daughter." With one final shove, Neriah had him out in the hallway, and the door swung shut behind them.

* * *

"Why did you push me out of there?" Solas rounded on Neriah as soon as they were alone in her chambers. She'd felt it best to return there, rather than to the rotunda, as the probability of Dorian eavesdropping again was quite likely. He looked actually angry with her, something she hadn't seen since she'd allowed Morrigan to bathe in the waters at the Temple of Mythal. He had been none too impressed then, and this moment was reminiscent of that.

Neriah stood her ground, her shoulder squared. She was having none of the elf grim and fatalistic antics today. "Because if we pestered her more, or forced her to help us, she would not have done so willingly. We _need _her help, Solas, and pushing her to help us isn't the answer. Remember what Flemeth said? You cannot possess an unwilling host, just as you cannot force one to help you." Her gaze softened, and she looked at him imploringly. "Morrigan will see reason, _hahren_, you'll see. She wants to help us, I can tell, but she must come to that on her own accord." She gently placed her hands on his shoulders, and the wolfish look on his face seemed to ebb away. "You've waited this long, what is a few more days?"

Solas exhaled slowly, before regarding her with a look of praise and affection. A smile crept along his face. "You never cease to amaze me, Neriah. You have a rare and marvelous spirit, you know. I am truly lucky to know you; your skills with our friends are much better than mine at times; sometimes I allow what drives me to cloud my judgement. I am sorry; it will not happen again."

Neriah gently drew him to her and placed a soft kiss on his nose. "No harm done,_ ma vhenan_." She grinned up at him, "That wolfy side to you has been coming out a little more each day, you know."

Solas raised an eyebrow. "Wolfy?" He repeated, and wrinkled his nose. "_Fenedhis, vhenan_, you sound like Sera."

She laughed, squeezing his shoulders. "I don't know, I like it; the wolfishness, I mean. You're allowing yourself to act more like a man, ironically. It's given you more…" She winked, "_personality_."

Now it was Solas's turn to laugh, "Does it now? I did not expect that reaction from you, _vhenan_. I often struggled with keeping that side of me at bay; perhaps I will have to worry less about that in the future." There was a glint in his eye, and Neriah felt her heart flutter.

She gave him her most innocent smile. "You are correct, _hahren_. Perhaps you _should_ let the wolf side of you out more often. I can think of a few places where it might work…" Her voice trailed away, and she glanced pointedly at her bed. Solas noticed her gaze, and looked back at her, his expression exasperated.

"Is now really the best time, _lethallan_?" He asked, though his tone was one of amusement.

Neriah shrugged casually. "Well we have some time to kill while Morrigan thinks over our offer. I'd say now is as good a time as any." She winked at him, "Besides, I believe you started something against your door the other day that we have yet to finish." She actually waggled her eyebrows at him, and Solas's face cracked into a smile.

"A rare and wonderful spirit," he whispered again, taking her into his arms, and kissing her deeply. Neriah took a moment to mentally praise herself; she'd had no idea if her pathetic attempts at seduction would work on Solas. But, apparently, all it took was mocking his dog-like tendencies as of late, and tease him about molesting her. She wasn't complaining, of course, as he pushed her back against her bed, and her knees buckled, taking them tumbling down onto the sheets.

As Solas began to kiss along her neck and collar bone, she accidentally whispered, "_Dread Wolf take me_," in a moment of pleasure. Upon saying this, she realized what she'd done, and turned bright red, craning her neck to look down at Solas, who was looking up at her, his eyes wide. After a moment of silence, they both burst out laughing. As the laughter died, Solas slowly lowered his mouth to her throat again, and she felt his teeth scrape along her skin as he whispered.

"_He already has, ma vhenan_."

* * *

The sun rose cold and grey the next morning. After much pestering, Solas had agreed to spend the night with Neriah in her chambers again. Both of them had been too sore to really move much, but the elven apostate had begun to insist he return to his own room, and Neriah had insisted otherwise; and by insist, she had threatened to light his clothes on fire if he tried to leave, and force him to do a walk of shame, similar to what Cullen had had to do so long ago after losing Wicked Grace to Josephine the first time.

Now, as the sun was beginning to rise, Neriah lay curled against Solas's chest, listening to the quiet sound of his heart beating. She wondered vaguely if it truly was only Solas's heart she heard, and not the hearts of the three other souls residing within him. She gently ran her finger along his chest, and the low purr that rumbled in his throat brought a smile to her face. She glanced up, and saw him looking down at her, a sleepy smile on his face.

"You were correct, _vhenan_, there was no better time than that." He kissed the top of her silver head, and she grinned up at him.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, _ma sa'lath_." She said happily, before rolling away from him, and getting out of bed. She stretched, and threw on some clothes, grabbing her brush, and running it over her head. "I should probably go downstairs and do my quick rounds through Skyhold. You're welcome to join me, if you like." Solas smiled at her, and nodded, before getting out of bed himself. He put his clothes back on, pressed a light kiss to her forehead, and they descended the stairs from her room to the Main Hall.

The sun had nearly fully risen when they entered into the Main Hall, and the whole area was filled with bright, golden light from the windows. Neriah took a moment to marvel at the beauty again, before gently taking Solas's hand, and leading him from the hall, and out into the courtyard. She did her usual rounds, checking on the barracks, the blacksmiths, the tavern, the healers, and the prisoners. Then came the stables, the merchants, and finally the kitchens. After that, she left Solas to return to his rotunda so that she could go to the War Room to meet with Cullen, Josephine, and Leliana, to exchange information, and get the details on any news. After she had finished with them, she returned to Solas's chambers, hoping to drag him to Herald's Rest for some breakfast.

When she entered his chambers, however, she found that he was not alone. Solas stood by his desk, and Morrigan next to him. Upon seeing Neriah, it was clear that the two had been waiting for her. She looked from one to other, her expression curious.

"Morrigan," she greeted the witch. "Is everything alright?"

The black haired woman looked tired, as though she hadn't slept, but when she spoke, there was a tired smile on her face. "Yes, Inquisitor, everything is fine." She turned so that she faced them both now. "I wished to wait until you arrived before I spoke." Her voice was slightly hoarse.

Neriah watched her friend in concern. "Morrigan, have you slept?"

She waved her hand, brushing off Neriah's concerns. "'Tis not an issue, Inquisitor." She gave Neriah her best reassuring smile, though the elf was vaguely reminded of a raven watching its prey. "I was awake half the night pondering your request from yesterday, Solas." She addressed the elf directly, who was watching her with calm resolve. "If what you say is true, and that Mother wishes to pass along her powers to me once this is all over, than I am inclined to help you."

Neriah couldn't help but snort a little, causing Solas and Morrigan to stare at her. She felt her cheeks heat up, and she cleared her throat loudly before speaking. "Sorry; that is very generous of you, Morrigan." She couldn't help but allow the amusement into her voice as she spoke.

Morrigan noticed this, and a smile passed along her tired face. "'T'would be an interesting experience, being able to obtain my mother's abilities after aiding you with this. I am aware that it sounds somewhat selfish of me to say, but I feel you would both benefit more from honesty than none."

"_Ma serannas, _Morrigan," Solas thanked her in elven, and the witch nodded to him in response.

"I myself would see the elven people restored," she admitted, "despite the dangers we could face from freeing the Elven Pantheon, the elven people deserve to know the truth, as I did." She looked between the two. "I will lend you all the aid I can with this, and," she added, her golden eyes glinting in the candlelight, "I will speak of this to no one; I understand the necessary discretion."

Neriah felt her hopes rise; she was going to help them! "So, you'll take us into the _Eluvian_, then? To the Crossroads?"

Morrigan nodded once, her face tense. "'Tis a risky venture, but yes, I will take you into the _Eluvian_, and into the Crossroads, if you wish."

Solas spoke now, and Neriah could see all the souls within him shining through. He was positively glowing with power, pride, and righteousness. "Let us go then, Morrigan. We have precious little time left."

* * *

**A/N: Woohoo! Another chapter down! I enjoyed writing Morrigan's character, she's got a very interesting way of talking. Learning more about her son, and Flemeth, was fun too. It never says in-game where exactly Solas left Flemeth's body, but judging by the scenery, it looked like the Arbor Wilds, and since I loved how beautiful that area was in game, I really want to be able to write about it later. Yay for lore and fluff! Sorry for no kink this chapter, that'll come later, I promise.**

**AND I'M SORRY BUT THAT MOMENT WHERE NERIAH SAID "Dread Wolf, take me," AND SOLAS WAS JUST, "He already has,". How perfect was that? I'm terrible. Send help.**

**The Elven used here is the same I've used before, with the exception of "ma sa'lath", which means "my one love" – so cute. I might opt out "vhenan" for everything, and get into some other cute elven pet names in future chapters. Hope you all enjoyed! R&amp;R, please! **


	13. Uth An

**A/N: Adventures, ho! That's all I have to say about this chapter. **

**The titles means "eternal place", as in the eternal city, maybe? Read on and find out!**

* * *

_Chapter Thirteen:_

_Uth An_

"Are you truly certain you wish to attempt this, Solas?" Morrigan's voice rang softly in the dark of the room, and the _Eluvian _towered above them. Neriah felt her insides clench. She had been so excited by realizing what they had to do; but now, seeing the huge mirror before them, and knowing that they were about to enter it, made her feel uneasy. She knew she couldn't back out now, for Solas's sake, but still, the thought of returning to the Crossroads unnerved her.

Solas didn't look at Morrigan, his eyes were focused on the _Eluvian_. "I am," was all he said. Neriah and Morrigan exchanged looks, before the witch nodded once, and turned to face her mirror.

Neriah watched, holding her breath, as Morrigan slowly approached the _Eluvian_, and took a stance before it. Neriah watched at the witch's hands began to glow with power, and it trailed up her arms, taking rest in her eyes. Before long, the entirety of Morrigan's body glowed a pale, bright blue, and she raised her hands in front of her, aiming her power at the ancient, elven artifact.

Neriah heard the hum first before she saw the vibrations. It started low, before reaching a deafening pitch, nearly causing her to slam her hands over her ears. The _Eluvian _glowed an unearthly light, and Neriah saw the glass begin to shake. It shook like a surface within an earthquake, until she was certain the glass would shatter, and all their efforts would be in vain. The hum and vibrations reached a pitch almost unthinkable, before there was a loud _boom_, a rush of cold air, and the mirror became still.

Neriah stared at the _Eluvian_ in fascination. Its surface glowed dully, and it shimmered and shone like water housing the sun. The former glass pane now rippled like a body of water, and there were wisps of energy softly coming from it. Despite its beauty, Neriah felt the knot in her stomach tighten; she couldn't place why, but she was beginning to feel very worried.

She turned to Solas, who was staring at the _Eluvian_ with much more fascination than she'd expected. "What do you expect to find when we enter it? Are we looking for any specific?"

Solas snapped his attention away from the mirror, and fixed his stormy eyes on Neriah. "We look for another active _Eluvian_. If Corypheus sought to enter into the Black City, to enter the Fade physically, using what he hoped would be an _Eluvian_, then perhaps there is also another that leads to the Eternal City."

Morrigan looked thoughtful, "So, in a world filled with dark, or broken _Eluvian_, we seek one which will take us into the Eternal City?" Neriah could almost see the sarcasm dripping from her voice when she spoke again, "Surely nothing abysmal can come from this."

Solas narrowed his eyes at Morrigan, "While I am grateful for your help, Morrigan, if you do not have trust in what I am doing, then do not follow into the Crossroads."

Morrigan smirked at Solas, "I have little faith in anyone, elf. I do, however, wish to see if all Mother told us is true. If by following you, I am able to physically enter into the Eternal City, and meet these so-called "Elven Gods" that your people worship, than I shall."

Solas looked annoyed, but nodded once. He turned to Neriah now, "Neriah, you must remain here while Morrigan and I enter into the Crossroads."

Her eyes widened, "Excuse me? I'm coming with you."

Solas's expression softened. "_Vhenan_, what I am about to attempt could be very dangerous. I know you are capable as a mage, but Morrigan and I have more experience in these matters than you do. I will not have your life be risked for my benefit. That is why – "

"That's why you left the first time, I know." She snapped, crossing her arms across her chest, and glowering at him. She knew she probably looked like a child, but she didn't care. "Solas, this is not a topic of debate: I'm coming with you. You trusted me enough to tell me everything, Creators be damned if I abandon you now."

Behind the, Morrigan chuckled. "I will enter the _Eluvian_ now. When the two of you are quite finished bickering, I will meet you in Crossroads, whether Neriah choose to accompany us or not." She turned and walked into the _Eluvian_, disappearing in a flash of white light. Neriah and Solas continued to glare at each other. Solas was the one who spoke first.

"You are correct, Neriah. This is _not_ a topic of debate. I will not risk your safety for my own gain. I should have said this earlier, and I am sorry." He was being earnest, and Neriah could tell, but it didn't mean it didn't make her angry. Suddenly, she had an idea.

Her mouth curved in a bitter smirk. "_Tel'abelas_," she said, before turning around, and leaping into the _Eluvian_. Behind her, she heard a slew of elven curses come pouring out of Solas's mouth.

* * *

Neriah hit the hard, stone ground with an ungraceful _oof!_ The wind was knocked out of her, and she lay face down on the ground, gasping for a moment. After a few seconds of mentally cursing in every which way she knew how, she forced herself to raise her head, and look around. The air she breathed in once her lungs began to work again was chilled, and she flexed her fingers carefully, trying to sustain any kind of warmth. Ahead of her, she saw Morrigan standing, who turned around upon seeing Neriah laying on the ground.

"I see you elected to join us, Inquisitor." Morrigan's smile was knowing, as she stepped forward, offering the elven woman her hand. Neriah gratefully took it, and Morrigan helped her to her feet. "A most daring, yet proper, decision. I would not think you would have allowed Solas to enter into the Crossroads alone."

Neriah gave her a sheepish smile. "I didn't exactly give him a choice." Morrigan raised an eyebrow in surprise, and was about to answer, when the _Eluvian_ hummed again, and this time Solas stormed out, looking livid.

"_Fenedhis lasa, _Neriah! Why did you do that?" His eyes were narrowed, but she could see some affection behind his glare, and she knew he wasn't really angry with her.

She couldn't resist the smug smile that was begging to be on her face. She approached him slowly, taking his hands in hers. Behind them, she heard Morrigan shift uncomfortably. The witch had never been one to show much affection, unless it was for her son.

"We're in this together, no matter what happens, remember?" Neriah looked up at Solas, a small smile on her face. She felt his shoulders relax, and he exhaled, slowly allowing his head to drop, and his forehead rested against hers.

"_Ma nuvenin, vhenan._" He said softly, and she smiled up at him, and leaned up, gently pressing her lips to his once. She heard Morrigan clear her throat loudly from behind them, and she glanced over her shoulder, throwing the witch her best, apologetic smile.

She turned back to Solas, gently cupping his face in her hand. "Let's go, we have work to do." Solas looked down at her, and smiled slightly, before nodding.

Neriah took a deep breath, and looked around. As it had been when she and Morrigan had entered into the Crossroads almost a year before, the air was cold and still, and mist clung to everything. The strange trees, whose branches curled upwards and formed an almost perfect circle still grew up from the ground around them. All about, Neriah could see other _Eluvians_, only their surfaces were still and dark, unlike the one they had emerged from. She could see ancient ruins reaching up to the greyed skies in the distance, and wondered if the ancient elves had once lived in them. She knew that they had never used roads, but passed through the worlds using the _Eluvians_ as a type of portal. She had to admit, even as a Dalish elf, she really didn't know much about her own people, and it bothered her. Even Morrigan, a human, knew more than she did. She was glad that, if their plans worked as she hoped, her people would eventually become reconnected to their culture, and perhaps learn to live among humans, dwarves, and Qunari in peace.

She looked from one _Eluvian_ to the other, not really sure what it was she was looking for. Perhaps one that glowed as theirs did? Or something else? She noted that Solas seemed to be doing the same thing as she was, his eyes scanning their surroundings, and he was beginning to look more and more worried. Was there nothing here?

Solas glanced at Neriah, and saw her watching him. He gestured for her to follow, and she and Morrigan walked along behind him as he led them through the Crossroads. It was eerily silent, their footfalls making next to no sound. Despite how much this placed made Neriah slightly anxious, it was quite extraordinary to be able to see this first-hand. It made her desire to learn more about her people threaten to boil over. She really needed to ask Solas to teach her more of the elven language and lore when this was all over.

They walked for a time in total silence, none of them saying a word. Neriah wondered how long they had been walking, and she was staring down at her boots, when suddenly Solas stopped in front of her, and she walked into him. She grunted, taking a step backwards.

"Solas, what the?" She began, but her voice died on her lips. Solas was standing in front of her, completely still, as though he had become a statue. With one shaking hand, he pointed ahead of them.

"_There_." Was all he said, his voice barely above the sounds of the mist around them.

Neriah looked passed him, and her eyes widened. They had entered a clearing, similar to the one they entered upon going through Morrigan's _Eluvian_. Around them they were circled by darkened mirrors and spherical trees, all in a perfect circle; a wall around one thing.

It was the biggest _Eluvian_ Neriah had ever seen.

It must have stood well over thirty feet high, and at least fifteen feet wide, and towered above them, looking more menacing than any mirror Neriah had ever seen. It was flanked by carved elven statuettes, depicting none other than Fen'Harel, the Dread Wolf himself. The statues of the Rebel God looked as though they were guarding the _Eluvian_, and the archway above the elven mirror was high and peaked, as though it could impale any animal or beast that attempted to land on it.

Behind her, she heard Morrigan intake a sharp breath, and whispered. "Fen'Harel," softly. She glanced over her should at the black haired witch, and saw that her golden eyes were wide with amazement, and perhaps even a little bit of fear.

Neriah turned her attention to Solas, who had begun to walk forward, his steps slow and even, but she could see the fear in his face. She followed closely behind him, not allowing him to get too far away. If he went through that mirror, Creators only knew if he would come back.

"Solas?" She said softly, reaching for him. She noticed that he was slowly removing his wolf's jaw necklace that he always wore, and was holding it in his right hand, his eyes never leaving the mirror. "Solas, is this what we were looking for?"

"Yes," his voice cut through the silence like a knife. "I had expected to search further, but I was lucky. It had been here all this time."

"What is it?" She asked, looking passed him to the huge, darkened _Eluvian_ again. "It's dark; doesn't that mean it doesn't work?"

"One requires a key, if you recall," Morrigan spoke up, as she walked up to join them. "If one has the key, one may use the _Eluvian_ to their will."

"What does this one do?" Neriah asked quietly, more to herself than anyone in particular. "Where does it lead?"

"The Eternal City," Solas said quietly, and Neriah stared at him in surprised disbelief. He didn't look at her; instead, he approached the _Eluvian_ slowly, and Neriah noticed how the necklace in his hand began to glow faintly, a blue light beginning to envelop it. She watched in amazement, as Solas slowly raised his right hand out to his side, and the wolf's jaw hung at the end of the leather cord, and began to glow brighter. With his left hand, he extended it in front of him, holding it parallel to the _Eluvian_. His eyes began to glow the same color as the light emanating from the necklace, and the power began to flow from his fingertips, into the mirror's surface. Neriah felt her breath hitch as the magic made contact the glass, and the same, deafening humming sound filled her ears again. Solas stood there for what seemed like an eternity, allowing the magic to flow into the mirror, until there was that familiar, loud, _boom_ of power, and the glass rippled violently once, before the sound was gone, and its surface became malleable. It glowed the same, unearthly blue that the _Eluvian _Morrigan had did within Skyhold. Solas slowly lowered his hands, and Neriah saw the light had died from his eyes, and his necklace. He slowly put it back on, and turned around to face them.

Morrigan was the first to speak. "Well, well. 'Twould seem our elven guide had the key all along." She sounded both impressed, and slightly annoyed.

Neriah stared at Solas, her eyes large and questioning. "Solas," she began slowly. "How did you know this _Eluvian_ would work?"

A small smile flitted across his face, before he became composed again. "Because it is mine, or, Fen'Harel's, _Eluvian_." He looked down at his necklace. "I wondered if it still remained here; thankfully, I was correct."

Neriah was still confused. "I don't understand, if you knew about this _Eluvian _all along, why did you ever even need the orb back? Why not just use this one?"

Solas glanced at her, his hands folded behind his back. He looked the perfect picture of composure as he had the day they had first met. "I had a second key, as well as this _Eluvian_, created long ago, should I have failed. I never thought I would need to use it. I had almost forgotten it had existed, until you mentioned the Crossroads, Neriah. Thanks to you, now here we are, but one step closer to fulfilling the will of the Elven Pantheon."

He turned back towards the _Eluvian_ now, and walked right up to it, standing parallel to the portal. He slowly began to raise his hand to it, his fingers mere inches from the shimmering surface. Just as he was about to touch it, Neriah stepped forward.

"Solas, wait," her voice cut through the still air like an arrow, and Solas faltered, turning back to look at her, his eyes concerned. Neriah's brow furrowed, "Are you sure about this? Is this what you truly want? What if this starts another war, like the one between the mages and Templars?"

Solas turned slowly to look at her. He stared at her for a good ten seconds before replying, and his voice came out softer and kinder than she'd expected. "Neriah, I _must_ do this. Fen'Harel chose me to fulfill his will, and I cannot disappoint him." His eyes became sad, "I have too much to atone for." He took a step towards her, his eyes somewhat pleading. "Neriah, I wish there was another way, I do, but there is not. I would see our people restored to the Old Ways, where they can no longer be slaves; where they know what their culture is."

Neriah looked at him, and she knew, deep within her heart, that he was right. She had known the risks of what Solas was attempting to do by coming here with him, and by accepting him back into her life. She was afraid of what would come, but also trusted Solas, and she hoped he knew what he was doing.

Solas could see her apprehension, and he slowly descended the steps, away from the _Eluvian_, and stood before her. He gently held her at arm's length. "_Ir abelas, ma vhenan_." He said quietly, and Neriah gave him the most encouraging smile she could, even though she was absolutely terrified from what might happen after Solas entered the _Eluvian_. Would she ever see him again?

She touched one of his hands on her shoulder. "_Tel'abelas_, _emma lath_. _Dareth_." He hugged her tightly, before slowly turning back to the _Eluvian_, and walked up the steps so that he was facing it again.

He slowly raised his hand, and his fingers brushed the pulsating surface. No sooner had he touched it, did the surface of the mirror become more blinding than the sun, and Solas stepped backwards to shield his eyes. Neriah started forwards, shielding her eyes as well. Solas noticed her getting closer, and threw out his other arm to protect her from whatever the _Eluvian _was doing. They stood in fear, wondering what was about to happen. Suddenly, through the brightness of the elven mirror, a booming voice spoke.

"_Fen'Harel; Dread Wolf_."

The light died from the mirror, to be replaced by a soft, golden glow. Within the mirror's depths, Neriah could see the figure of a man, tall and lithe, like an elf. In front of her, she saw Solas so ridged, and his skin turn white.

"Elgar'nan…" He whispered, his voice filled with disbelief.

Neriah felt her blood run cold; had he just said what she thought he'd said? Was the figure in the mirror truly Elgar'nan, the God of Vengeance? She stared in awe at the swirling figure with in the _Eluvian_, and exhaled slowly, feeling lightheaded.

Solas slowly approached the mirror, and Neriah could see he was shaking. "Is it truly you, Elgar'nan?" His voice was so quiet Neriah could barely make out what he was trying to say.

The glowing, golden figure seemed to brighten at this. "_Fen'Harel, I see you have taken the form of a mortal. Tell me, why have you come?_" The voice was almost ethereal, and it sent a chill through Neriah's body.

"I have come to fulfill the will of Fen'Harel, Elgar'nan," Solas said quietly, as he slowly straightened himself up. "I have come to release you and your children from the Eternal City."

"_Where is your foci, Fen'Harel?_" The voice asked, "_You used not your key to open the Eluvian_."

Neriah could almost feel the shame radiating from Solas as he spoke again. "I was too weak to learn its power after my slumber. I…" His voice trailed off.

The glowing figure spoke again, and Neriah could hear understanding in its voice. "_You should not have given your orb to Corypheus, Dread Wolf._" Neriah saw Solas's shoulders slump slightly. "_You come now, bearing the souls of others inside you, to atone for our imprisonment. I can feel the presence of Mythal within your mortal form, Fen'Harel, just as I can feel that of Asha'belannar._" Neriah noticed how the figure used the elven name for Flemeth as he spoke. "_Alone you were too week, but with the aid of these souls, you may yet find the power to enter into the Eternal City, and free us._" Neriah heard Solas exhale slowly, and she couldn't help but smile slightly at the apparent return of hope into his posture.

"I wish to atone for all that I did, Elgar'nan. I was foolish to think that sealing you away would help The People. They are far worse now than they were before. They have lost what makes them _Elvhenan_, and I seek to restore it." His voice was fierce, determined, and somewhat sad. Neriah could tell he was feeling the weight of all that had happened now, for he looked exhausted. "I would see our people restored, and our culture flourish again."

The figure seemed to be regarding Solas now, and it raised its head, as though praising what the elf said. "_We are not angry with you, Fen'Harel. We warred amongst ourselves, during that time. We were not fit to rule a people, and you did all you could to help us. Because of your efforts, the people yet live, despite their culture being hindered. It is far better than the fate they would have suffered had we continued to war. For this, should you free us from our mirrored prisons, you will be rewarded._" Neriah saw Solas's head snap up, and he stared at the figure, his mouth slightly agape. "_Upon our freedom, your Godhood will be restored, and you will not be forced to wander between our people and the Forgotten Ones again, as you once did._ _You will enter the Pantheon permanently, and live among the Elvhenan Gods as a protector of The People. It is how I feel you should be compensated, and how Mythal would have wanted. She is but a spirit now, though I know you were not linked with her death. All will be well. This, I swear to you_."

Solas stared at the figure, hardly daring to move or breathe, and behind him, Neriah and Morrigan were just as still, both glancing at each other, while watching Solas and the figment of the Elven God interact. Neriah couldn't believe it, this was actually going to work? Solas would be able to restore the elven people, and Fen'Harel would rejoin them within the heavens? She felt nervous; it all seemed too good to be true. What did this mean for Solas as a person?

Solas didn't seem to notice her discomfort, nor really think about the consequences. "Then I shall restore The People, _hahren_." He took a step towards the _Eluvian_ again, but the figure spoke once more.

"_Fen'Harel_," its voice sounded calming, yet there was an edge to it. "_There is a price you must pay, before you may restore The People, however_." Of course there was, Neriah felt the knot of worry grow larger. She saw Solas falter by the mirror again. "_Once you enter into the Eternal City, the body you currently possess will be discarded, and you will become a God once again. In order to free us from our prisons, you must renounce the hold which you have on the mortal body you have taken. The souls within your body will continue to inhabit your being, but the body of the man who stands before me will be no longer_."

"Wait, you mean Solas will die?" Neriah spoke before she could stop herself, and Solas whirled to face her, as the figure acknowledged her presence. It nodded once, and Neriah felt her heart skip a beat.

"_It is a small price to pay for the outcome, da'len_." It said evenly, and Neriah felt anger spike up inside her.

Solas turned back to the figure, "Elgar'nan, is there not another way?"

The figure shook its head, "_Ir abelas, Fen'Harel. There is no other way. You must renounce all that you were within the body of the elf, Solas. Including_," the figure turned its attention to Neriah now, "_those you have developed attachments with. You must harden your heart to a cutting edge, sealing away all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will become_."

There was dead silence in the Crossroads now, as all three stared at the figure of Elgar'nan in shocked silence. Neriah could hardly believe it. Not only would Solas's physical body die, but Solas would die along with it; everything he was would gone, including the feelings he had for her. Everything he was would cease to exist. It was a heavy price to pay for what he was attempting to do, and Neriah felt as though her heart was being torn apart.

Solas seemed to be struggling with himself, as well. He looked back at Neriah, and she could see how sad and confused his gaze was. He turned slowly back to the figure in the mirror, and she could hear the pain in his voice when he spoke.

"Is there no other way, Elgar'nan? I… It causes me great pain to think that…" He couldn't finish his sentence. He looked back at Neriah again, and she stared at him, her heart hurting. She took a deep breath, and tried to calm herself. She knew what she had to do.

She slowly approached Solas and the _Eluvian_, and gently took Solas's hand in hers. He looked down at her, and she could see the immense pain in his eyes.

"_Vhenan_," he said quietly, reaching for her.

She looked up at him, "Solas, whatever you decide, please know that I will always love you." Saying it out loud nearly shattered her heart, but she also knew how important this was to him, and Creators be damned if she got in the way of that. Solas looked down at her, saying nothing, but she could see his feelings for her in his eyes, and she forced a somewhat reassuring smile onto her face.

The figure seemed to be looking between them now, and it spoke again. "_Fen'Harel, there is… Something that may be done._" They both whirled to look at him in shock; what had he said? The figure spoke again. "_I can see that the man, Solas, cares deeply for this young woman. He has done much to aid you in your attempts to restore our people, that I would grant you a choice._" Neriah stared at the figure, what was he getting at? There had to be a catch. "_You are strong enough to endure what lies beyond this portal; you are strong enough to free us, and restore our people. But, I would offer you a different path, if you so choose to take it. We may still yet be freed, but not by you_."

Solas stared passed Neriah at the figure, his eyes slightly widening. "What do you mean, Elgar'nan? Is there another way?" Neriah could hear the hope in his voice, and she looked at the figure.

The figure spoke slowly. "_It is not the way you would have wanted, Dread Wolf._" Its voice was softer now, almost parental. "_The choice I offer is this: we may be restored, but not by you; not by Solas. There is another, who has the power and ability to restore our people, yet she lies still in a glen within the Arbor Wilds_."

Neriah froze, her eyes widening. "Flemeth…?"

The figure nodded, "_Asha'belannar is the only other who is strong enough to free us. Your choice, is to renounce the gifts you have been given, Fen'Harel. Give all that you are to Asha'belannar, including yourself, and allow her to enter into the Eternal City, freeing us._" There was a stunned silence as the figure continued to speak. "_You will be able to live freely, as the man you once were, with this woman. The price: you will not be the one to free us, and you must accept that. I know that the man Solas has as much of a will to free us as you do, Fen'Harel. It will be hard for him to let go, but a decision must be made._"

Neriah stared at the figure, her heart pounding. Solas was now faced with two choices: either allow himself to die to restore the elven people, or give up all that Fen'Harel had given him to Flemeth, and allow her, a non-elf, to restore them instead. Both options house heavy prices, and she had no idea which he would choose. She turned to look at Solas, who looked as shocked as she was. Away from them, Morrigan watched, the witch's expression thoughtful.

Solas was, for once, at a loss for words. He simply stared at the figure, his eyes actually scared. The figure seemed to notice him falter, for it spoke again. "_You must decide soon, Fen'Harel. It is imperative. I will await your answer within the Eternal City. Dareth shiral_." The figure then vanished in a burst of golden light, and the _Eluvian _was dark again, and Solas and Neriah were left standing in front of it, staring into the blackened mirror.

"Well," Morrigan said, walking up. "That certainly was informative." She looked at Solas, her face composed, though Neriah thought she could see some pity in her eyes. "'Tis a hard choice to make, Solas, I am sorry. Know you which you will choose?"

Neriah looked back up at Solas, her face blank. She had no idea how to react; on one hand, she could lose Solas forever, but on another, they could be together, as ordinary people, but he would have to give up all that he was in order to do so. She had no idea how to react to this, and apparently neither did Solas, since his brow was furrowed, and he looked as though he was about to explode.

"I… I do not," he finally spoke, his voice hoarse. He looked back at Neriah, his eyes filled with many different emotions.

"Solas…" She said gently, reaching for his hand. She knew that now, above all else, he needed comfort. To her surprise, he pulled his hand away from her, as though burned.

"I must take time to think this over," he sounded so broken. "I must return to Skyhold." He then turned on his heel, descended the steps of the _Eluvian_, and walked off into the mist, back in the direction of their own _Eluvian_.

Neriah started after him, "Solas!" She called, but he didn't turn back. Morrigan gently grabbed her arm as she tried to follow.

"Do not follow him just yet, Inquisitor. He is in need of time to think. When he is ready, he will come to you." The black haired woman looked down at Neriah, and gave her a small, reassuring smile. "He will make the right decision, no matter what that may be."

Neriah looked up at her friend, then off in the direction Solas had gone, and her heart constricted. "I hope so," she whispered softly. She collected herself, and turned back to Morrigan. "Come, let's get back to Skyhold. I don't want to spend another minute in this place than I have to." The witch nodded, and the two walked in silence back to the _Eluvian_ that led back home.

* * *

**A/N: Woop! There it is, folks: the conflict. How did I do? I think I was pretty clever using Solas's necklace as a key, eh? Tee hee. It came to me while I was at work, and I thought, "Oh **_**hell**_** yes!" And used it immediately. I liked writing this chapter. This story feels so natural and original to me, even though it's a Fan Fic. I guess it's kind of how I hope the DLC will turn out when they release it (and they WILL. Or I swear to God). **

** The elven used in this was all over the place. "Tel'abelas" means "I'm not sorry" (which is why it was funny when Neriah said it to Solas the first time, and just plain upsetting the second time). "Emma lath" means "my love", and "Asha'belannar" is the elven name for Flemeth. "Dareth" is just a variant "dareth shiral" which just means "be safe". "Fenedhis lasa" is just a worse elven curse, which explains why Solas used it when Neriah just jumped into the **_**Eluvian**_**; probably pretty mad, eh? R&amp;R, please! Hope you all enjoyed!**


	14. Isala Melana

**A/N: Oooooh sh – hey guys! That last chapter was pretty intense, eh? Such fun writing it. Without any delay, let us launch into the next one! Get ready for friendship fluff and some Neriah angst.**

**The title of this chapter means "In need of time" – probably in reference to Solas needing time to think over what they just learned. /insert gasp here. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Chapter Fourteen:_

_Isala Melana_

Neriah stepped out of the _Eluvian_, and felt the chill leave her body. It was nice to breath in soft, warm air again. The soft, golden glow coming from the window behind the _Eluvian_ made the small room glow softly. To anyone else, it would have made anyone who entered feel a sense of comfort, perhaps safety, with the exception of the huge mirror looking above them.

Neriah felt none of those things.

Behind her, Morrigan stepped out of the _Eluvian_ as well, and came to stand beside her. The room was empty, and there was no sign of Solas anywhere. The witch glanced sideways, and placed a pale hand on her shoulder, and squeezed it once, before nodding to her, and exiting the room, leaving Neriah standing alone.

The elf stood still for a moment, her mind surprisingly blank. She didn't know how to react. Part of her wanted to scream, turn, and smash the _Eluvian_ to pieces, and never let Solas go back to the Crossroads, and the other wanted to disappear completely. She felt both angry and guilty; angry because she didn't want to lose Solas again, this time permanently, but she also didn't want to keep him from the one thing he had wanted more than anything since she had met him. That had been why he had joined the Inquisition in the first place, was to study the Breach, and the anchor, the mark, on her hand, to see if he could harness the power she possessed. Somewhere along the line, he had allowed his heart to choose for him, and it pained her to know how much he had suffered. She now understood more than ever why he had had to leave before, but now she was so terrified of what was to come. She stood there, still and stiff as stone for a few more moments, before forcing herself to exit the room, leaving the _Eluvian_ to gather dust behind her.

She wandered out into the gardens, watching with tired eyes as the citizens of Skyhold milled about, talking and laughing amongst themselves. It was almost surreal to witness; they had no idea what was going on behind closed doors, and it made her slightly envious. She wished so desperately that she could feel the wistful happiness they did, but until Solas made his choice, she just couldn't.

It felt like she was wading through water as she walked back into the Main Hall, her limbs moved sluggishly as she crossed the hall, heading in the direction of Solas's rooms. Just as she came to the door, she paused, her hand resting on the frame. She could see him, sitting at his desk, hunched over, his head in his hands. She felt her heart twinge with sadness as she watched him, wondering if she should say or do something. She began to start forwards, but stopped herself, forcing herself to turn away from him. Morrigan was right: he needed time to think about all this. When he was ready, he would come to her. At least, she hoped he would. She didn't know how well she'd handle it if she awoke the following day to find him gone again, upon which she would know which path he had chosen. If she lost him again… No. This was not the time to be pitying herself; she had to be strong. She was the damned Inquisitor, and she could not afford to act like an upset child over this. Sometimes, life had a way of kicking her while she was down, but she would just have to learn to live with it.

She slowly turned and walked away from Solas's room, trying her best to keep her head held high. Part of her wanted to go to her room and just throw herself onto her bed and sob like a child, but she knew she couldn't always do that. When she had been a little girl living with her clan, whenever she had been upset, she had run off into the forest, thrown herself onto the forest floor, and sobbed until she was certain her tears had given the ground enough water to grow a new tree. Once she had calmed, she would shuffle back to the camp, and refuse to look at anyone, out of sheer embarrassment. Over the years, she had gotten a little better at not running away and crying. Only a little. Not really. She would work on it. Now was a good time.

She came to the decision that she would go walk the battlements for a while, to see if that would help clear her head. She quickly exited the Main Hall, dodging nobles, crossed the courtyard, avoiding the questioning look from Scout Harding who was coming out of Herald's Rest, and up the steps to the battlements. Thankfully, it was quiet up there, and she could be alone. Only a few soldiers patrolled the ramparts, and saluted her as they passed. She walked around the back of Skyhold, to the highest point of the battlements, and seated herself on the edge of the stone walls.

She perched herself with her legs hanging off the edge of the fortress, so that she could see thousands of feet down into the snowy mountains below. She swung her feet lightly, not feeling the least bit afraid of how high up she was. When she had lived with her clan, she had often climbed trees and ancient ruins, sitting herself as high as she could so that she could see out over the world below her. She wondered if Morrigan could ever teach her how to become a bird, as she could. Neriah would absolutely love to be able to fly; to soar up into the clouds at a moment's notice, and not look back.

As she sat there, high on the battlements, she felt a small smile touch her lips. It was in moments like these that she felt at ease, away from everyone, feeling the cold wind whipping around her. She could breathe in, only to have it snatched away by the breeze, and it filled her lungs with elation. She knew, deep within herself, that everything would work out as it should, even if it hurt in the beginning. She leaned her head back, staring up at the sky, and allowed the air to rush from her lungs, in an exhale of exhaustion, and acceptance.

"Inquisitor!" A voice exclaimed from behind her, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She wobbled on the ledge, and felt a hand grab her shoulder, hauling her off her perch, and she was being dragged backwards, closer to the stairs leading back down to the courtyard. She squirmed in the grip, and whirled to find herself face to face with Cullen.

"Cullen, what in the name of Creators are you doing?" She swatted his hand away, giving him an annoyed look. "You startled me!"

"Saving your life, evidently." Cullen retorted, his face regaining a little color; he looked shaken. "You shouldn't so close to the edge, it's dangerous."

Neriah rolled her eyes, fixing the Commander with a withering look. "Cullen, I'm Dalish; climbing on things is something I grew up doing." She moved away from him to stand by the ledge again, looking away into the mountains. "I had it under control," she threw him a look over her shoulder. "By grabbing me like that, I may have actually fallen." His look of terror made her laugh, and he seemed to ease up a bit. "Look, no harm done." She turned back to him. "What are you doing up here, anyway?"

The man shrugged, his armor clanking as he did. Creators, did he ever take that stuff off? Other than when Josephine beat him into doing it. "Sometimes I walk the battlements on days I need a break." He admitted, his hand coming up behind his head, something he did when he was embarrassed. "It has been a long day."

Neriah shook her head, "Tell me about it; that's one thing we have in common. I came up here to get away for a few minutes."

Cullen gave her a quizzical look. "Is everything alright, Inquisitor?"

Neriah exhaled slowly. She liked Cullen; he was a very kind, and noble man, and he worked tirelessly to help the Inquisition. But she just wasn't ready to discuss her problems, namely her love life, with anyone just yet, especially not Cullen. While he seemed quite capable as a Commander and soldier, she doubted he'd want to listen to her bitch about Solas. Everyone had done enough of that when he had left months before.

She gave Cullen her best "I'm just fine" smile, and the raised eyebrow he gave her suggested he didn't buy it at all. "I'm fine, Cullen, thank you. It's just been a long day, as you said." Cullen raised an eyebrow, but Neriah brushed it off. He wouldn't get an answer out of her, and he needed to accept that.

He shrugged, "Well, I should get back to my office. I was just doing the rounds of the battlements. I have a lot of paperwork left to do. Another time, Inquisitor." He placed his hand on her shoulder for a moment, and gave her his best, most comforting smile, before saluting her, and turning to walk away down the battlements. Neriah watched him go, a little smile on her face; he was a good friend, she had to admit, and she was lucky to know him.

She exhaled loudly, and blew a raspberry into the wind. She shook her head, wondering what she could do to keep her mind off of her current predicament. She finally came to the conclusion that she would got for a drink at Herald's Rest; she could use the distraction of ale at that moment. She strode down the battlements, and back passed Scout Harding, who gave her the same confused look, and walked into the tavern.

Thankfully, it was busy, so no one noticed her come in. It was loud, so she seated herself on the second floor away from everyone, glad to have a moment of peace. The tavern girl, Gilly, brought her an ale, which she sipped at carefully. There were loud voices all around her, and she began to realize that a few were louder than the others. It took her a moment to realize that she was hearing the voices of Varric, Dorian, and Iron Bull.

She swore inwardly, as she spotted them at a table not too far away from hers, appearing to be absorbed in a game of Wicked Grace, and all laughing loudly. She tried to hide behind her mug of ale, but it didn't work too well. It only took Dorian looking away from the table for one second to notice her. After all, how many other elves were there in Skyhold with pale skin and bright, silver hair?

"Neriah!" The mage called out happily, waving to her, and Varric turned and Iron Bull looked up. They were all grinning and waving her over and, despite grinding her teeth violently, she waved back, and stood up, walking over.

"There you are!" Varric said cheerily, pulling out the chair next to him so she could sit. "Where have you been? We haven't seen you since yesterday."

Neriah struggled to find the right words; she had no idea how to explain to her friends where she had been. They couldn't know the truth just yet, and she wasn't ready to share anything too personal with them, either. "I was, uh, with Solas." She hoped that was vague enough to allow them to use their imaginations. Thankfully, she was right, but not the way she had hoped. Her face must have given away that something bad had happened, because the smiles on Varric and Dorian's face slid off like soldier on an oiled saddle.

Varric's face became serious, his eyes searching her face. "What did he do?" His voice was flat, and Neriah felt her heart speed up in worry, and her cheeks flush with guilt.

"N-nothing!" She said quickly, raising her hands in front of her in defense. "Everything is fine, really!"

Now it was Dorian's turn to give her a skeptical look. "The last I saw you was yesterday, and you were going to see Solas, and I had not seen you since, Neriah. Tell me, shall I prepare to light the elf on fire?"

"Or get Sera to put cockroaches in his bed?" Bull asked, his voice gruff with concern and mild anger.

Neriah flailed her hands in front of her like a fool. "No, no! Everything is fine, really! I'm sorry, I'm just very tired. It's been a long and exhausting day." Her eyes flitted about, trying to look anywhere but at the accusing faces of her friends. Creators, what could she come up with?

Suddenly Dorian's face changed, and a sly smile crept across it. "Could our lovely Inquisitor be feeling under the weather because and our elven apostate were… _Cavorting?_"

Neriah's eyes widened, the table erupted in laughter. She felt her cheeks begin to burn, but swallowed her pride. If thinking this would make her friends shut up about questioning her, then so be it. She slowly put her head down on the table as Varric clapped her on the back, and Dorian and Iron Bull continued to snicker at her.

"Hey now, don't be ashamed, Neriah. We're all happy for you, remember?"

"Speak for yourself, Varric," Iron Bull grunted between Dorian's gales of laughter. "I still think the elf is kind of a piece of shit. But," he added, winking at Neriah, "he's _your_ piece of shit, so I guess I have to accept that, even if I still kind of hate the guy." Neriah turned her head so she was looking at Iron Bull from the table top, and threw him an exasperated look.

"Please stop judging me," she mumbled, not lifting her head, and this only made her friends laugh harder. Dorian rubbed her back gently, and she groaned into the table, wishing she could just disappear. Creators, would she be happy when this was all over, and she could get on with her life.

Suddenly a thought hit her: by getting on with her life that may include doing so without Solas again, only this time, he would not be coming back. It was in that moment the true gravity of the situation hit her, and she felt an immense wave of sadness hit her. Her heart hurt, and she knew she had to get out of there, and quickly, lest she burst into tears. Creators, was she ever bad at being an adult sometimes.

She managed to keep her face composed, even laugh off her friends' mockery a little, before excusing herself from the table, and hurrying away. She hurried up the stairs to the third floor, aiming to exit through the door that led to the battlements again, when someone appeared in front of her with a _poof_.

"Augh, _Cole!_" She yelped, nearly falling down back down the stairs, and landing instead on her rear on the floor, as the Spirit Boy stared at her in confusion at her cry of surprise.

"You are running from something; it's not physical, but not a spirit, either. It's chasing you, and you want to get away, but you can't." He reached out and helped her up off the floor, his pale eyes searching her face. "You want it to follow, but it shadows your steps."

Neriah felt her eye twitch. Couldn't she have but a moment of peace without having to lock herself in her chambers?

Cole dropped her hand, watching her from under his huge hat. "You are angry that I found you; do you want me to go away?"

Neriah felt a pang of guilt; she often forgot that Cole could feel her thoughts and feelings, and she felt bad that he knew that she wasn't very glad to see him.

She sighed and shook her head, gently taking his hand again, and squeezing it reassuringly. "I'm sorry, Cole. I didn't mean to seem angry with you; I'm not, for what it's worth. I've just had a very, _very_ long day."

Cole fixed her with his typical, curious gaze, his large, pale eyes quizzical. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Neriah smiled gratefully up at him, and gently released his hand. Cole was becoming more and more human with each passing month. He was getting a lot better at asking if someone wanted to talk, rather than just showing up and stating the obvious, or personal, something that had thoroughly embarrassed a few of their friends over the last two years. While she appreciated his offer, she knew she couldn't talk about it just yet.

"Thank you, Cole," she said kindly, "But I will be alright. I am going through something at the moment, but it will pass." At least that part was true; it _would_ pass, but in which way Neriah didn't know, and it continued to ail her.

Cole nodded once, "The weight will lift," Was all he said, before wandering passed her, and down the stairs to no doubt join the others at their game, since Varric's voice could carry across all of Thedas if he wanted it to.

Neriah watched him go, a little smile on her face. Despite it all, she still had to consider herself lucky: she had amazing friends. She knew that, if things were to turn out for the absolute worst, that at least she would still have them. They could help heal her and, in time, her heart would heal, and she would be able to continue to carry on. That was the worst scenario, and she prayed to the Creators, who she now knew existed, that it would not come to that; she couldn't bear the idea of them taking Solas from her.

After another long walk around Skyhold's battlements, she decided to head back to her chambers, and try to get a nap in before she went to find some dinner. She slowly climbed the stairs to her room, taking each step at a time, relishing in the echoes her footfalls made on the stone stairs. The silence was a comfort, she mused, as she finally ascended to her room. She threw the windows open, allowing the cold, mountain air to come swirling into her room, chasing the stuffiness out. She glanced at her bed, it was still a dishevelled mess from when she and Solas had slept in it the night before. Her heart panged as she looked at it, but she shrugged it off, and walked to her bed, laying down, and looking up at the ceiling, watching the light dance off the wooden beams, and hearing the wind chimes on her balcony that Josephine had gotten her for her Name Day jingle in the wind. The gentle song eventually lulled her to sleep.

* * *

While roaming the Fade, Neriah was plagued by shadows. They took the forms of herself and Solas at one time, mimicking the moment he left her the first time, and then the unknown moment if he were to leave again. She watched the shadows dance, and heard them laugh at her as she turned to run from them, covering her ears, and trying to block it all out. She couldn't stand it, she _wouldn't_.

She ran down a hallway of an ancient elven ruin, trying to hide from the shadows. She veered around a corner, her legs exploding out from underneath her, and she tried in vain to lose them. On her last turning of a corner, she came into a large hall. Ivy crawled up the walls, and pale sunlight filtered through the decaying, vaulted ceilings. But it wasn't the ancient beauty of the place that caused her to stop, it was what was in the middle of the great hall.

Fen'Harel's _Eluvian_ stood in the center, surrounded by a glowing, pale, blue light. Within the mirror's surface, she could see the distinct, golden, form of Elgar'nan, among others, which she took to be his children. Standing in front of the mirror, was Solas, his wolf's jaw bone necklace resting in his hand. Neriah started forwards.

"Solas!" She cried out, and began to run towards him, her hand reaching out in pain and terror. "Wait!" He turned to look at her once, and she saw the agony in his eyes. He slowly shook his head, and she stopped running, her heart pounding like a drum.

"_Ir abelas, ma vhenan_." He said sadly, before turning back to the mirror.

Her heart lurched, "_No!_" she screamed, her voice cutting through the stillness, but her body would not move; she was frozen in place. She was forced to watch as Solas slowly reached out to the mirror, and placed his hand on it. No sooner had he touched it, did a breadth of light emanate from his body, soaring up into the air, and slamming into the mirror. As soon as the light left him, his body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground, and moved no more.

Neriah screamed louder than she had ever heard herself scream, her voice probably having the ability to shatter glass, and all at once, the ground below her gave out, opening into a darkened, gaping maw, and swallowed her whole.

* * *

She awoke thrashing in her bed, her sheets everywhere, and her clothes soaked with sweat, and possibly tears. She sat bolt upright, her heart pounding. It had been a dream, just a dream, and she was certain as she had been falling, that the laughter of a Fear Demon had been heard in the darkness. Fucking demons; she wished she could destroy them all.

She sat there, licking the sweat from her upper lip, and allowing her heart to slow. She flexed her fingers, and tensed and un-tensed her muscles, trying to will feeling back into her body. The sun had set long ago, and the moon was now high in the sky. She exhaled, and felt her stomach rumble loudly. Creators, did she ever need to eat. She got up, rubbed her eyes, and took a few, deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. It was a dream, just a dream; she had to keep telling herself that in order for her to remain composed. She slowly descended the stairs, and opened the door.

Only to find Solas standing there.

"Solas?" She said in surprise, her voice coming out louder than she'd intended.

He didn't meet her gaze; he looked so tired, and his face was white. He didn't speak as he slowly drew her into him in a bone breaking embrace, and the air rushed from her lungs.

"S-Solas, I can't breathe," she gasped, and he released her. "What's going on, are you alright?" Her brow furrowed, and her pale eyes searched his stormy ones.

"_Vhenan_," he began, his voice sounding so broken. He gently placed his hand on her cheek, and she leaned into it, closing her eyes. She felt a small rush of air from his as he let out a small, bitter laugh. His expression was uncertain for Neriah; he looked desperate, yet happy and sad at the same time. What was going on? They stood in silence for a moment, before he spoke again.

"We must go to the Arbor Wilds; I must speak with Flemeth."

* * *

**A/N: OOOOOOH, sorry not sorry. I can't let you all have all the answers right away, can I? What kind of author would I be if I just gave you all a happy ending right now? A nice one; I would be a nice one. I know it **_**may**_** seem like Solas has made his choice, but how do we know which it is? He might only want to talk to Flemeth about other options – we don't know! Tee hee. Don't hate me, review instead! Cheers.**


	15. Ma Sa'lath

**A/N: Hey, everyone! We are slowly entering the last few chapters of this story, I am sad to say. Only a few more chapters to go! Maybe three, I haven't decided yet. We'll see; unless I have some crazy idea beforehand, of course! Warning: this chapter may contain a **_**lot**_** of feels. If you cry, I will send you tissues; I am sorry in advance.**

**The title of this chapter just means "my one love" – which'll go well with all the upcoming angst. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Chapter Fifteen:_

_Ma Sa'lath _

Neriah pulled away from Solas sharply, her eyes staring up at him, "You _what_?" What did this mean? Was he going to give Fen'Harel to Flemeth? "Solas, are you…?"

He gently shook his head, and she felt her heart sink. "I have not yet come to a decision, _vhenan_, I am sorry," he saw the sadness in her eyes, and he gently took her in his arms again. "I would speak with Flemeth first; she is as much knowledgeable about this as I am. I am still uncertain."

Neriah looked down, her nose squished against his chest. "I know that, but…" She mumbled before she could stop herself. She felt Solas shift, and he cupped her chin his hand, raising her eyes to his.

"_Vhenan_," his voice was so quiet, and she could see the pain in his eyes. She felt a stab of guilt. She couldn't force him to make a choice, he had to come to it on his own. Perhaps going to revive Flemeth was the right choice right now, whether she was happy about it or not.

She took a deep breath, forcing a smile onto her face. She could see Solas's face change from sadness to surprise at her sudden change in attitude. "We will go to Flemeth, then. You know how to revive her?" Solas nodded wordlessly, and Neriah smiled up at him again. "Alright, we will leave first thing in the morning, then, and go to her."

Solas gave her a grateful smile, and held her close to him. She allowed herself a moment of peace, taking in how his arms felt around her, his scent, and the feeling of his head resting on top of hers.

"Why did you come to me so late?" She asked quietly, her voice muffled by his shirt. She felt his arms tighten around her, almost protectively, maybe even a little possessively.

"I felt your pain in the Fade," was his soft answer. "I had entered the Fade myself, and could hear the voice of a Fear Demon, somewhere deep within an ancient ruin. I entered, the ruin, and saw you. You were standing in the middle of a large room, sobbing as though you had lost something, or someone." He looked down at her, and she knew he knew what she had seen. "There was nothing in the room, but you sat there, as though seeing something I could not. It was clear you were in pain, so I left the Fade, and came to you physically." He ran a thumb under her eye, "Your eyes look so tired, _vhenan_."

"I could say the same about you, _hahren_," she replied, her hand resting on his face. Solas had deep, purple bags under his eyes; he looked as though he hadn't slept properly in weeks. "You look so exhausted, Solas…" Her voice trailed off, and she felt her eyes sting. She wanted so desperately to help him, but she knew that, in the end, all she could do was support whatever choice he made. It killed her to know that she may have to live her life without him again.

"Why couldn't you just tell me you didn't care," she felt a soft, bitter laugh escape her, and she looked up at him, her eyes brimming. Solas stared down at her, his mouth slightly hanging open. Her felt her lower lip begin to tremble, and she looked down quickly. "I'm sorry, that wasn't fair of me to say…" Her voice trailed away, and she looked back up at him. Neither of them said anything for a few moments when, suddenly, Solas's lips crashed into hers.

Neriah was so surprised by the sudden kiss that she pulled away quickly. Solas flinched, looking slightly guilty. Once she had regained her composure, and leaned up, brought his face down, and pressed her lips to his. As she did, she heard a low groan escape him. He wrapped his arms tighter around, and she felt him slowly begin to back her back up the stairs, and into her room. She didn't realize they had been moving so much until her knees buckled and they tumbled onto her bed, much like they had the first night they had spent together.

She pulled away once to look at him. His face was composed, but his eyes had a lust in them she had never seen before. "Solas?" She whispered, her eyes searching his. She knew she wanted him, but she wanted to be sure he was alright first.

He shook his head, silencing her with another searing kiss. When he pulled back, he pressed his lips to her ear, "_Vhenan, ma'arlath_," he sounded as breathless as she felt, "Above all else, no matter what happens, please give me this." He had never sounded so desperate, and it only made her want for him burn brighter. He pulled back, and held her face in his hands. "I love you, Neriah; more than I ever thought I could love another. You have a soul I have never encountered before. The thought of losing you again… I…" His voice broke, and he kissed her again, and she moaned softly into his mouth.

"Solas," she whispered, "_Hahren_…" She needed him, her body was beginning to burn.

He pulled away once more to look at her, "No matter what comes, please know that you will always have my eternal love, _ma vhenan_." What should have been a phrase that sent loving filling every fiber of her being, it instead made her feel broken, elated, loved, and terrified at the same time. All rational thought flew from her mind, and she desperately leaned up to him, her lips pressing themselves against his again. She didn't care about what was going to happen anymore in that moment. All she cared about was feeling Solas's body pressing longingly against hers, and the feeling of his hips grinding into her, with the hardness on the front of his breeches pressing unbearably close to her need.

Every grind of his hips sent a wave of lust straight to her brain, causing her to feel dizzy. She let her head fall back, and a soft moan escaped her. She felt Solas hook his arm beneath, drawing her as close as he could to him, as he began to kiss along her throat, sending chills all over her body.

As his teeth grazed along her throat, and his tongue delved into her collarbone, he whispered heatedly against her skin. "_Isala ma, vhenan_," and she breathed out quickly, her heart quickening. Normally she was the one who was desperate for him, but tonight it was different. Solas had changed, as had she; their world was changing, and the only constant thing was having each other, no matter for how much longer that might be.

She hadn't even realized that his lips were moving down her body, coming to rest on her stomach. He jerked her shirt up a little farther, exposing more of her toned, pale abdomen. Her skin glowed in the dim light of her room, and she saw his lip curve in a smirk as she let out a particularly loud moan when his tongue began to slowly swirl down around her lower abdomen.

She felt the smile against her skin again, as he whispered in a lust filled voice. "Does this please you, _vhenan_?" All she could do was nod, and he uttered a low chuckle. She felt him begin to undo the laces on her trousers (she had fallen asleep in her clothes yet again) and begin to pull them down. Her breath hitched, and she felt Solas pause. She looked down and saw him looking up at her, but his face was anything but concerned. He could see the want in her eyes, and she could see how dark with hunger his were.

"No matter what the future may bring, Neriah, we will have tonight." His eyes never left hers as he began to slowly pull off her trousers, one leg at a time. "We will have this night, and this moment," he was starting to pull off her small clothes now. "I wish to be with you tonight, more fully and desperately than I ever have before." Her small clothes were tossed into the darkness, and he began to run a finger along her sex, making her shudder and whimper.

"Solas…" It sounded like a whine, but she didn't care.

His eyes were closed as he felt along her folds, and she could see his other hand drift to the bulge on the front of his breeches, and began to stroke it slowly. "I want to forget it all, even if it is merely for tonight." She felt his finger begin to part her folds. "I only want there to be you, and I." With one fluid movement, his finger was inside her.

She tensed immediately, and her head fell back as she gasped. Solas began to pump his finger in and out of her at a slow, infuriating pace. He was savoring each gasp, moan, and writhe from Neriah as she twisted beneath him, her body slowly beginning to lose control. She could feel the heat beginning to pool in her core, as he legs began to shake. Solas began to move his finger faster and faster, and suddenly added another, and his thumb began to rub her blossomed nub expertly. This sent Neriah nearly spiraling out of control.

"S-Solas!" She gasped, "I-I'm going to…!" She couldn't hold it in any longer; she was about to tip over the edge.

Solas suddenly leaned down, and grabbed her face in his hand. He brought his mouth mere centimeters from hers, and she could feel his ragged breath almost inside her. "I want you to scream so loud all of Skyhold hears you." The calm, collected, and rational Solas Neriah knew was gone, and had been replaced by an animalistic, primal being. Neriah was certain this may have been Solas's Fen'Harel side coming out, but she was too far gone to care. The moment those words left his lips, she was falling, and screaming his name the whole way down. She didn't even see him take off his own clothing, before he was suddenly inside her.

Neriah's body constricted, and she arched into him as he began to slam his body into hers. Gone was the slow, sweet, intimate love making they had become accustomed to over the last few weeks. This was hot, primal, and fully driven by the fear of losing one another. They grasped at each other, both trying to cling desperately to what might be lost forever.

Solas suddenly went stiff, and his eyes flew open. He gasped her name once, and she felt him spill into her like fire. She dug her nails into his back, and brought his face down to kiss him with as much passion as she could muster. As she did, he moaned her named, and his body began to slow. Finally, he collapsed on top of her, and the two lay there, panting in the darkness.

After a few moments of catching their breaths, the both pulled back, and looked at one another. Solas slowly leaned down and kissed her gently. "I am sorry, _ma vhenan_, if I hurt you at all." Solas was back again, and the hunger had died from his eyes.

Neriah smiled up at him, "Never," she said kindly, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. He slowly climbed off of her, and drew her into him, placing his lips to the top of her head.

"I love you, Neriah," he whispered, and she felt something wet hit her cheek; a single tear. "Please, always know that."

* * *

Neriah strapped her staff to her back, and tightened the straps of her pack around her shoulders and hips. She double checked that she had everything: spell tomes, plenty of water, health potions, sleeping roll, and some non-perishable food. She stretched her limbs, and cracked her neck. She was ready to depart for the Arbor Wilds. She and Solas were telling no one where they were going. If anyone asked, they were off to explore some area that Solas had deemed to be filled with spirits, and he wanted Neriah to experience it with him. To any of their friends, it would, hopefully, just sound like they wanted some alone time, and none of them would bug them about it further.

They had chosen to leave as early as possible, as it would be traveling south, and it would take them at least three to four days to get there on foot. They had little time to waste, and wanted to find Flemeth and have Solas revive her as soon as possible.

After Neriah had cleaned up the night before, and she Solas had spoken very little before settling in to sleep. He had held her close to him the entire night, as though she may drift away if he had let go. It hadn't really given her much hope that he wouldn't leave her now, seeing how desperate he had been. She hadn't minded the sex in the slightest; it had been a surprising, and exciting change, from how Solas generally was. She wondered vaguely if he were to give his souls to Flemeth, if he would ever be primal like that again. She figured it best to try not to think about it, as it only caused her pain, and made her a little excited at the same time. Damn her libido for that bald-headed elf sometimes, honestly.

She was waiting for Solas by the gates to Skyhold as the sun was just beginning to rise. It cast a warm, golden glow over all of Skyhold, and Neriah could see a few citizens begin to emerge from their homes. With any luck, their friends would all still be asleep, and no one would notice them leave, lest they need to use their slightly pathetic excuse.

She was fiddling with hood on her cloak when she spotted Solas descending the steps, his own staff strapped to his back, and his pack secured firmly. They exchanged a brief smile, neither of them really making eye contact; Solas had been slightly embarrassed over how he had acted the night before, and Neriah had just blamed the unknown. Still, he seemed to be a little nervous that morning, so she didn't push the matter at all.

"Are you ready to depart, _vhenan_?" Solas asked, shifting his pack on his shoulders, and she nodded.

"As ready as I'll ever be." She took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind of all worry she might have. She would need her wits about her for the long journey ahead, and couldn't afford to be distracted, lest they encounter any enemies along the way.

Solas nodded once, and gave her a slightly reassuring smile, before gesturing to the gate, indicating that he too was ready to leave. They began to turn towards the stone pathway that led from Skyhold, when a voice called out to them.

"Inquisitor, a moment!" Neriah turned to find Morrigan walking up to them. She had on her usual black leather skirt, and revealing burgundy cowl. She also carried her staff, and had a pack on. She looked ready for travel.

"Morrigan," Neriah greeted the witch, her eyes wandering over her curious garb. "Are you going somewhere?"

The woman smirked at the elf, "Indeed; I would accompany you to the Arbor Wilds, as I am sure 'tis where you are off to?"

Neriah and Solas exchanged looks. They had been in each other's company since the previous night; neither of them had told Morrigan where they had been planning on going.

Morrigan noticed their looks of confusion, and her smirk widened. "I did not need telling to know where it was you were planning on going, Inquisitor." Her voice was rather smug, and Neriah raised an eyebrow. "Were you planning to return to the Crossroads, you would have no doubt elected to enter the _Eluvian_ again, and since you are not, there is only one other option. I have but one request: that I join you. If you seek my Mother, I have a few questions of my own for her."

Neriah blinked at the witch, "What about Kieran? Is he…?"

Morrigan laughed lightly, "I would not bring my son on such a journey; 'tis far too dangerous." She shook her head, a little smile on her face. "No, he will remain here in my absence. The warden," she paused to correct herself, "_Blackwall_, seems to have taken a shine to Kieran, and said he would be more than pleased to watch him while I was away." Seeing the looks of surprise and fear from Neriah and Solas, she added with another smirk. "Worry not; I said nothing of where I intended to go. That will remain a mystery for all who remain in Skyhold."

Neriah exchanged another look with Solas. On one hand, she wanted them to go alone, as it was a very personal thing that Solas was attempting to do. On the other hand, to deny Morrigan a chance to see and speak with her Mother again, no matter how their relationship was, would be cruel. That, and no doubt Morrigan would appear anyway, but in much less good spirits. Neriah didn't really want to deal with any of their options, but felt it would be best to decide on the one that led to the least amount of conflict.

She sighed, regarding the witch with mild exasperation. "Alright, Morrigan, you can come with us." The witch looked triumphant, and gave Neriah a small nod of her head.

"My thanks, Inquisitor. You will not regret this. I hope to speak with my mother about her apparent granting of her powers to my own body after this is all over."

Solas spoke now, his tone even but slightly critical. "We do not go to the Arbor Wilds to give Asha'belannar my souls, Morrigan. I go to merely speak with her. As one who houses immense power, I would first gain her insight on these matters before making a decision. If you accompany us simply for the idea that you will gain her powers, then perhaps you will be sorely mistaken."

If Morrigan had feathers Neriah was certain she could have ruffled them in annoyance at Solas's words. "Do not take me for some mere glutton of power, elf. I seek to accompany you for the knowledge it could bring, nothing more."

Solas started to make a snarky comeback, but Neriah stepped between them. "Alright, enough, you two. Honestly, sometimes I wonder if the two of you would not have entered a courtship had Solas and I not had." The aghast looks from them both made her laugh, and also shut them up. "We have a lot of ground to cover, and I'd like to get out of here soon to avoid any _unwanted_ people waking up and noticing, if you know what I mean." She jerked her thumb in the direction of Herald's Rest, where she knew for a fact that Iron Bull, Dorian, Sera, and some days Varric, all spent their evenings.

Solas and Morrigan exchanged withering looks before seeming to come to a silent agreement, and nodding. Neriah smirked triumphantly at them, before leading the way from Skyhold, down the path, and out of sight.

* * *

**A/N: So this was a bit of a shorter chapter than my usual ones, I know. I'm sorry! I needed another filler chapter before we get into the really good stuff. I wanted to try to elicit some feels out of my lovely readers before things get **_**really**_** emotional. I'm so evil. **

**I really wanted to write more for this, but I've been so busy today. As of today I am done my Undergraduate, and finished University/School forever! I am so happy, but also exhausted. So that's why I wrote this cute/angsty/smutty chapter tonight. I hope you all enjoyed! **

"**Isala ma" means "I need you", and "Ma'arlath" means "my love" – I can't remember if I covered that bit already. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! R&amp;R, please!**


	16. Shiral

**A/N: Hey, all! Hope you all enjoyed the massive amounts of angst in the last chapter as much as I enjoyed torturing my poor Neriah! Poor babies. **

**The title of this chapter means "journey"; just a variant of "Dareth Shiral", without the "dareth" in it. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Chapter Sixteen:_

_Shiral_

The first night of travel was probably the worst. Solas and Morrigan began bickering almost as soon as they left Skyhold, and Neriah was beginning to regret both allowing Morrigan to come with them, and coming along herself. She swore her ears would start bleeding if they didn't shut the hell up soon. They had just set up camp again when the elf and witch had begun to bicker anew, and Neriah had nearly blown a gasket.

"If I have to listen to the two of you bicker for five more minutes I am going to throw the both of you off this mountain!" She snapped angrily, causing them both to shut their mouths and look at her in surprise. "This is a very important venture we are on, and it can't be spent with the two of you acting like children!" Her voice was shaking from pent up annoyance, rage, and sadness, all for evident reasons. "This could change the entire elven populace in a matter of moments, depending on what Solas decides to do, and I will _not _have us be delayed because the two of you cannot seem to stop squawking like a pair of insolent _birds!_" She actually shouted the last part, and Morrigan and Solas fell silent, both glaring at one another, but also looking extremely guilty. Neriah, who had already set up her tent, stormed into it, closing the flap behind her as violently as she could without bringing the entire thing down into the snow.

Later that night, and after Neriah had stopped sulking and forced Morrigan and Solas to apologize to each other, she had agreed to take first watch while the others got some sleep. She lit a Veil Fire, and seated herself down on a large rock, hugging her knees to her chest. Since they had left Skyhold, she could feel the dread beginning to pool in her stomach like lead, weighing her down. She knew that, in a matter of days, she would know whether or not she would lose Solas forever. The thought made her feel physically ill, so much so that she had insisted they bring their own tents, rather than share one. Solas seemed to agree. They both needed time to think, and becoming distracted by one another would not help. That, and they didn't want to make Morrigan uncomfortable. At least Neriah didn't; she had a feeling that Solas could care less about the witch's happiness, considering their merciless bickering up until now. They had both come to Neriah separately after they had all calmed and apologized to her. Solas had seemed more earnest than Morrigan, but she took what she could get.

She ground her teeth, and exhaled loudly into the still night air, her breath coming out in a puff of steam. She furrowed her brow, trying to fight the urge to go into Solas's tent, and just beg him to come away with her into the mountains, and never look back, but she knew she couldn't do that to him, it wouldn't be fair. She kicked at the snow angrily like a child, before she heard movement behind her. She turned, and saw Morrigan emerging from her tent, her golden eyes quizzical, and a small, knowing smile on her pale face.

"Inquisitor," she said simply, coming to join her by the fire.

Neriah reddened, "Morrigan; I'm sorry if I woke you."

The witch shook her head, "I was already awake, Inquisitor. I awoke not long ago, and decided to come out and relieve you of your watch duties so you could get some rest." When Neriah raised an eyebrow questioningly at her, she smiled slightly. "You look as though you have not slept properly in days, Neriah."

Neriah looked away, chewing on her lower lip, trying her best to avoid Morrigan's gaze, as she knew the witch knew she was right. "It's been…" She began slowly, trying to find the right words. "A trying few days, I'll admit."

Morrigan gazed into the green flames before responding, and what she said surprised Neriah. "How are you feeling?"

Morrigan didn't normally ask such questions, but Neriah actually appreciate her friend's concern. She stole a quick moment to think before she replied, tucking a stray lock of her silver hair behind her pointed ear. She took a breath, gathering her courage, before glancing sideways at the woman.

"Morrigan, I don't know what I'm going to do if I lose him again; forever this time."

"You will endure," Morrigan didn't even miss a beat. Neriah was startled by her practical response, staring at the black haired woman in surprise. Morrigan noticed her look, and chuckled softly. "I know it sounds too easy, or too blunt, but 'tis the truth, Inquisitor."

Neriah looked away, creases of worry and anxiety appearing on her face again. Neither of them spoke for a minute, before Neriah said, "Morrigan, have you ever been faced with something you cannot change, no matter how hard you wish you could?"

Silence; Neriah turned to look at Morrigan, and saw the witch was looking wistfully into the Veil Fire again. She didn't say anything for a good thirty seconds, and Neriah began to wonder if she had said something to offend her.

"Morrigan, I –" she began, but the witch spoke over her.

"No," was all she said. When Neriah fixed her with a look of confusion, she smiled. "But, I have faced many trials in my life, Inquisitor." She turned her body so that she faced Neriah now, her hands folded neatly in her lap. "I have had a son with a man that I have never loved," she paused and wrinkled her nose, "Almost loathed at times, in fact; and that man was the love of a woman who I have come to consider a sister. I learned that my own mother had plans to possess my body to prolong her own life, with blatant disregard to my own feelings." She looked away and into the fire, the green glow making her look somewhat sickly. "I had to send my own friends in my stead to try to kill her, not knowing if they would succeed, or even survive. Even in the end of it all, I had to leave, no matter how much it pained me to do so. I had to leave behind the first, real friend I had ever had, to live a life of solitude with my son, whose body housed the soul of an old God. 'Twas the only thing he had ever known, but it still hurt to know that I had subjected my innocent to that life; to those dreams." She looked down, and Neriah could see an old pain in Morrigan's eyes, but only for a moment. She looked up again at Neriah. "Do you know what all these things had in common, Inquisitor?"

Neriah shook her head, her mind reeling from listening to Morrigan's story, and her heart going out to the witch. Morrigan smile, and continued quietly.

"I have been faced with challenges my entire life, Neriah. From growing up as a young girl in the Wilds, taught to hate all men, to knowing that, at any moment, my body could no longer be my own." A smile flitted across her face for a moment, and she gently placed her hand on Neriah's, "The thing I have come to learn from all of this: is that I have the ability to change everything."

Neriah stared at her, slowly beginning to understand what Morrigan was trying to tell her. "I am sorry you had to go through all that, Morrigan."

The witch laughed suddenly, making Neriah jump. "I am not sorry; had I not gone through every trial of my life, I would not be where I am today. Listen, Neriah," she turned to her again. "The point I am attempting to attain by telling you all this, is that, no matter how cruel the world can be, there is always a way to manipulate it, and you will always have that power, as long as you understand it."

"Do you really think I can change what might happen to Solas?" Neriah asked, trying not to get her hopes up, but feeling a small twinge of hope.

Morrigan's face softened, and she squeezed Neriah's hand in a very motherly fashion. Perhaps having Kieran really had softened the woman of the wilds. "That I cannot tell you; 'tis still uncertain. You can, however, change how you both handle it, and feel." She turned Neriah's hand over, revealing the pale, smooth skin of her forearm. "I have seen your skin, Neriah, and the scars that litter it. Like those scars, time heals all wounds one can acquire over time. This includes wounds of the heart, as well." She let go of her hand, and looked back into the flames. "I know that I have had to allow my soul to heal on more accounts than I can recall." She looked back at Neriah, and her eyes were filled with sympathy. "I am sorry, my friend, for all you have had to endure."

Neriah stared at Morrigan, and felt her heart fill with sadness, regret, anger, and confusion. She knew Morrigan's words were meant to help attempt to ease her pain, but it only made her think more about what was to come. She held it together, however, thanked Morrigan, got up, and went to her tent. Once she was alone inside, she pulled her knees to her chest, and felt the hot tears begin to run down her cheeks.

* * *

The next two days passed in a blur. Morrigan and Neriah didn't speak any more about what was the come, and Neriah was glad for it. As much as she appreciated Morrigan's kindness the other night, Neriah had just wanted to let the matter drop. She didn't want to have to think about it anymore, as with each step they drew closer to the Arbor Wilds.

The snow was slowly dissipating as they descended out of the Frostback Mountains, and onto flatter terrain. The icy mountainside were replaced first by rocks and dirt, and then slowly by grass and other shrubbery. The sun became hotter, and Neriah had to stuff her cloak in her pack to keep from sweating through her clothing. The air became more humid, and she knew that they would soon come to the jungle that was the Arbor Wilds. They even got caught in the rain at one point, something Neriah hadn't seen or felt in months. It was nice to feel the cool water on her face again, and she relished in it. They crested another hill, and the sight that met her eyes nearly took her breath away.

Before them lay the Arbor Wilds, and it certainly was a sight to behold. The last time Neriah had been there, she and her companions sought the Temple of Mythal, and the supposed _Eluvian_ that Corypheus had wanted. They had, of course, found the temple, and its elven sentinels, namely Abelas, the leader of the elven inhabitants, who had, until Corypheus began to pillage the temple in search of his prize, remained in stasis, only awakening when the temple was under attack. The last time Neriah had been there, as well, was the time before Solas had taken her to the glen in Crestwood, and promptly ended their relationship. Seeing the wilds again gave her a sense of both nostalgia, and contempt. She glanced sideways at Solas, who didn't meet her gaze, and guessed that he was thinking the same thing.

"'Tis almost surreal, being back here, is it not, Inquisitor?" Morrigan spoke quietly from Neriah's left. She nodded curtly at the witch, who took her pursed lips as a sign that she didn't want to talk about it anymore, and dropped the topic.

"We should keep moving," Solas said, his voice calm and composed; he was back to his usual guileless ways, and Neriah was heavily reminded of his attitude when they had first met, again. He had been so reserved, and yet extremely excited at the use of her Mark, and terrible at hiding it. While he had remained calm when she had come to speak with him in Haven, she had noticed how his eyes had flitted back between her face and left hand. He had always been good at hiding his emotions in his face, but not his eyes. Even when he had terminated their relationship, she had seen how sad his eyes were, but she hadn't cared at the time. She had wanted him to feel pain, and had gladly stormed away, leaving him in the glen. Now, as she looked at him, she could see the small amount of excitement in his storm-grey eyes again, but also the remorse and apprehension as well.

They made their way down the rocky, grassy hill towards the beginnings of the wilds, and stopped, all three of them staring up at the huge, green trees, and hearing the distant buzzing of bugs and fauna within its depths. Neriah could feel the humidity practically radiating from the forest, and absently wiped a bit of sweat from her brow, mentally cursing herself for not having packed lighter. She would need to shed her current robes soon, and settle for just her breeches and light shirt she wore underneath, lest she melt into a puddle on the forest floor.

"How far until we find my mother?" Morrigan asked, turning to Solas, who looked just as lost in his thoughts as Neriah was. He seemed to snap out of it when Morrigan spoke, and turned to her.

"Not long now; perhaps another hour or so." Neriah noticed how Morrigan pursed her lips at Solas, before nodding.

They followed the elven apostate into the jungle, and Neriah was surprised how little direct sunlight there was once they entered the trees. It had been so long since she had been in the Arbor Wilds, that she had forgotten how incredibly beautiful it was. She liked almost all the terrain within Orlais and the borders of Ferelden, the Emerald Graves being her favorite place to venture to, but this… This was otherworldly. She could see why the elves had elected to build a temple dedicated to Mythal here. The trees themselves seemed to house a certain magical quality about them, deep within their leaves and bark. She could see beautiful, huge, red and yellow flowers poking their heads out from the deep, blue green grass, and the very trunks of trees. Above them, she saw a huge, blue and purple bird soar, and it let out a melodic squawk, before flying away. Butterflies fluttered around them, and a soft breeze played through the wood, cooling Neriah's skin. She inhaled slowly, smelling the flora and earth beneath her feet. She was reminded of her time with her clan, being able to live amongst the forests and wide life, and felt a wave of nostalgia hit her.

They walked in total silence through the dense jungle of the Arbor Wilds, and all the while Neriah had her eyes on the back of Solas's head. He was walking stiffly, his back oddly straight, and he made no eye contact with neither herself, nor Morrigan. She wondered achingly what he was thinking about. He seemed so stoic, more so than usual, and it was beginning to bother her. She prayed with each step that they took that he was not planning on doing what she hoped he was planning on doing. Though his calm, reserved, and un-talkative behavior suggested otherwise, and it pained her.

She was beginning to wonder if they would ever get there, when suddenly, Solas stopped, and Neriah ran into his back, again. He grunted, and looked over his shoulder at her, giving her a dismissive look, and she blushed furiously, mumbling an apology. She looked past him and saw that he was facing what looked like a large clearing. The trees simply vanished, as though none had ever been there before, and the grass was shorter here. Neriah looked down, and saw what appeared to be a stone pathway beneath their feet, leading towards…

Her breath caught in her throat.

At the end of the path, by the large stone wall of a cliff face, leaning against it, was an _Eluvian_.

It stood around the same size as the one Morrigan kept in Skyhold, and glowed in the same, soft, blue light that one did when it was activated. It was humming, and Neriah could feel the vibrations of power as they slowly approached it. Its design was more intricate than the one Morrigan had, and more graceful than the one Solas had used to speak with Elgar'nan. The designs across its frame seemed familiar to Neriah, though she could not place where she had seen them before.

Behind her, she heard Morrigan whisper. "So Mother had her own _Eluvian_ all along; I should have seen this coming." She sounded slightly dejected, and a little awed at the same time. "Where is my Mother, Solas? How do we awaken her?" Morrigan looked up at the _Eluvian_, "Is she within the Crossroads?"

Neriah looked at Solas, but he wasn't listening, or looking, at either of them. His eyes were focused on the ground in front of the _Eluvian_, and Neriah's gaze strayed to follow them. What she saw made her gasp aloud. Behind her, Morrigan let out a cry of surprise.

"_Mother!_" The witch began to rush forward, but Solas threw up a hand to stop her.

"Wait, Morrigan."

Neriah stared at the ground in shock, hardly daring to believe what she was seeing. Asha'belannar, Flemeth, the Vessel of Mythal, lay upon the ground, still and cold as death. Her body was frozen in a position of what looked like sleep, and her skin, armor, hair, _everything_, was a deep onyx, and she looked like she was either made of stone or ash. The sight both unnerved and fascinated Neriah.

"You said she was merely petrified!" Morrigan looked ready to strike Solas down, "What have you done to her, _elf!_" Morrigan rounded on Solas, her face filled with rage. "She is _stone!_" Her hands glowed, and Neriah quickly stepped between them.

Solas fixed Morrigan with a calm glare. "What I said was the truth, Morrigan. Flemeth is merely petrified, her body preserved so I may restore her as needed. I would not leave her here to rot, if that is what you are insinuating." Neriah heard Morrigan growl with hatred, and Neriah placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her from starting forward and lighting Solas on fire, or worse.

"_Restore_ her then, "Dread Wolf"," Morrigan's tone was mocking, and Neriah had to throw her a warning look in order for her to shut up before anything got worse.

Neriah turned her attention to Solas now, "Solas, can you really revive her?"

He nodded curtly, "I can, and I shall. If you would restrain our _guest_, Neriah, I may begin." He smirked when Morrigan started to snap back but Neriah hushed her. "Step back, if you would, I require space." Morrigan scowled at him, and Neriah gently pulled her back to give Solas the space he needed.

"I hope you know what you are doing," Morrigan's voice was anything but concerned for her mother's well-being anymore, "For your sake."

"Morrigan, enough," Neriah chided her, and the witch threw her a glare, before quieting. Solas stood with his back them, facing the petrified body of Flemeth, and the _Eluvian_. The soft, silvery blue glow from the mirror bathed Solas and the Witch of the Wilds' body, making them look almost ethereal.

He slowly began to raise his arms in front of him, and Neriah was reminded of when he had activated the _Eluvian_ in the Crossroads. Light began to form in first his hands, then spreading up his arms, to settle within his chest. She watched as the light pooled there, and began to climb over the rest of his body, reaching the tips of his pointed ears, to the bottoms of his legs, and encircling his toes. He was now completely bathed in a glowing, blue and white light, as strands began to slowly drift from his body, and up into his eyes. Neriah could see how brightly his eyes blazed now, and she saw him raise his head, almost triumphantly, to the sky.

"_Asha'belannar, ma melava halani. Sahlin, ar lasa mala revas. Garas arla, ma falon._" There was a blinding flash of light, and as she shielded her eyes, Neriah could see the light flowing from Solas's body, and into the still form of Flemeth on the ground. The power slammed into her, and she was raised into the air, and hovered there for a moment, her form bending, twisting, and shaking. Beside her, Neriah felt Morrigan shift, as though she were about to run forward, but Neriah placed a hand on her forearm, keeping her still.

Flemeth's spasms seemed to stop, and the light began to fade, as she was slowly lowered to the ground. Neriah saw Solas stumble, and sink to his knees, his whole body shaking. She immediately let go of Morrigan, and rushed to his side, grasping his shoulder in her hand.

"_Hahren_, are you alright?" She asked worriedly. Solas glanced at her, and nodded once, seeming slightly out of breath.

"I am, _vhenan_, do not worry." His gaze travelled past her to look at Flemeth, who now lay behind them. Neriah turned as well, and had to stifle yet another gasp of surprise. Gone was the onyx prison that Flemeth had been encased in, and her chest was rising and falling with slow, deep breaths. At last, her eyes opened, revealing the same bright, golden ones she had passed on to her daughter, Morrigan.

"Flemeth," Neriah whispered, and felt Solas move passed her to kneel by the old woman.

"Asha'belannar," Solas said quietly, gently allowing her to lean on him as he helped her to her feet. Neriah stood as well, and came face to face with the mysterious Witch of the Wilds.

Flemeth stood at least a head taller than her, nearly as tall as Solas, and had the same, striking features as her daughter. Her hair, unlike Morrigan's, was stark white, rather than a deep ebony, and there was clear aging in her face. Her armor was as Neriah remembered, black and red, and spiked here and there, giving her an air of danger. Her head piece and horns remained as well, giving her the appearance of a dragon in human form, something Neriah knew Flemeth could go, being as powerful as she was. Though she looked tired, there was a renewed vigor in her eyes as she looked at Solas, Neriah, and finally, her daughter.

"Morrigan," those were the first words out of her mouth, and Neriah saw Morrigan smile slightly, though it looked a little pained, even contemptuous.

"Mother," she replied stiffly, "I am glad to see you are well."

Flemeth laughed, a clear, ringing sound. "I am quite well, dear girl, and," her gaze turned to Solas now, "confused, I will admit." Her golden eyes searched his face. "Dread Wolf, my old friend." Neriah was surprised when they suddenly embraced like long lost family, and felt a pang of jealousy. Flemeth's eyes fell on her then, and she smiled knowingly. "And you've brought the lovely Inquisitor with you, how touching." Neriah could hear the subtly veiled sarcasm in her voice, and narrowed her eyes. While she knew Flemeth wasn't an immediate threat to them, she still had a hard time trusting her.

Flemeth turned back to Solas again, "Why have you returned here, Fen'Harel?" There was concern in her golden eyes, and Neriah was surprised. She regarded Solas with a look of respect and friendship, something the elven woman had not expected. "Have you freed The People?" She paused, seeming to sense something, before speaking again, he voice slightly flat. "You haven't." Her eyebrows creased together, "What has happened, my dear friend? Tell me." She reached for him, and clasped either side of his face, holding him to her as any mother would.

Solas's shoulders slumped slightly as he leaned into her hands, and Neriah felt a pang of sympathy for him. "I… I face an obstacle, Asha'belannar." Solas's voice was hardly louder than a whisper, and he sounded more broken than he ever had. Neriah wondered if admitting to Flemeth that he had come back without change was going to be harder on him than she'd thought. "One I did not expect to find; one I was given by choice." He looked like he was in so much agony. "I come to you, restoring your soul, to ask for your aid. I…" His voice faltered, and his eyes glanced at Neriah, "I do not know what to do; I have never been more uncertain. I would see the _Elvhenan _restored, but…"

Flemeth held up a hand to silence him, noticing then how his eyes fell on Neriah, and another knowing look came to her face. She nodded once, and stood tall and proud before them.

"I would hear of your problems, and do all in my power to help you, old friend." Solas looked relieved, but Neriah felt a stab of worry. Something wasn't right. "I know you would not have sought me out unless you had no other option. You still yet possess the spirit of Mythal; I can feel her within you, glowing like a beacon in the dark. I am grateful you were able to restore my soul. You have learned well." Her knowing smile was beginning to bother Neriah even more. "Come, we will go somewhere less… Open." Flemeth gestured, and a small crack opened in the cliff face behind her. She began to enter it, and Solas followed without hesitation.

Neriah glanced back at Morrigan, "Should we follow them?"

Morrigan chuckled, "No doubt Mother has something planned, she always does. 'Twould be best if we followed, yes." She strode passed Neriah, and into the crack in the wall, and out of sight. Neriah stood for a moment in the clearing, her heart pounding in her chest, afraid of what was to come next.

It took a brief moment of mentally fighting with herself before she forced her legs to move, and she entered the crack.

It was unbearably dark, and for a moment she stood there, allowing her eyes to adjust to the lack of sunlight, and light altogether. She stepped forwards a few feet, and as she became accustomed to the darkness, she noticed a dim light at the end of the small tunnel she realized she was in. She began to walk slowly, her hands feeling along the rocky confinement until she came to its end. She turned, and found herself looking into a large cavern. A large cavern that was actually the remains of an elven ruin. An elven ruin she felt she knew. Down below her, Flemeth, Solas, and Morrigan stood in the center of the large room, and the sun was drifting down to cause them all to glow. There was something missing, however…

The _Eluvian_.

Neriah felt her breath hitch, and a chill race through her. That was why she had recognized the _Eluvian_. It was the same one from her dream; her nightmare. The one that she had seen Solas give himself to the Elven Gods; the one where he had died. _She was inside the same ruin from the Fade_. The reality of it all hit her like a punch to the face, and she knew what was about to happen.

She had to do all in her power not to start screaming.

* * *

**A/N: /nervous laughter. Please don't kill me for this; I wanted to end it here because I am an evil person who is probably a sadist. I accept it; it's the only way I can sleep at night. Hee, hee. **

**The elven phrase Solas said roughly translates to: "Flemeth, you have helped me. Now, you are free. Come home, my friend." To be used as a kind of spell/rite to be said when putting her soul back, or something. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I struggled with it, a little. It took me **_**hours**_** to write this one. I'm sorry if Flemeth seemed out of character a bit; I still need to get a feel for how to write her better. R&amp;R, please!**


	17. Hellathen

**A/N: It's almost over, y'all! No tears, now. There's still more angst to be had! Enjoy.**

**The title of this chapter means "noble struggle" – pretty self-explanatory. Read on!**

* * *

_Chapter Seventeen:_

_Hellathen_

"_My name is Solas, if there are to be introductions. I am pleased to see you still live." She looked at him closely, still flexing her fingers from where he had gripped her wrist to help her close the Rift. She looked down at her hand, and the Mark glowed softly. She looked back at the elf, taking in his appearance. He was bald, surprisingly, something she rarely saw in elves. He stood at least a head taller than her, and his eyes were a storm grey and navy. He wore simple, forest colored robes, and a jacket. His staff was now strapped to his back, and his hands were folded behind his back in a proper fashion, giving the air of a Dalish Keeper – powerful and stoic. _

_"He means, 'I kept that mark from killing you while you slept'." Varric interrupted her internal monologue, shaking his head, and smiling crookedly._

_Neriah turned to the elf again, and little smile on her face, and nodded her head in acknowledgement. "I guess I owe you my thanks then, Solas." She gestured to herself now, "My name is Neriah Lavellan. I am pleased to meet you both." She smiled at Varric as well, he tipped an imaginary hat to her, and winked. _

_Solas barely smiled at she spoke, and turned to Cassandra. "Cassandra, you should know: the magic involved here is unlike any I have seen. You prisoner is a mage," His eyes strayed to Neriah again, "but I find it difficult to imagine any mage having such power." Neriah didn't know if she liked the way Solas looked at her as he spoke. _

"_You seem very knowledgeable about all this," She remarked candidly, cocking her head while watching him with her silver eyes. She saw his lip curve slightly in a smirk, but he didn't respond. _

_Cassandra looked grave, her dark eyes worried. "Understood; we must get to the forward camp, and quickly." Solas nodded, and followed the Seeker as she hurried down the steps towards the frozen pond below, where Neriah could already see more demons materializing. _

_Varric stepped passed her, before glancing back, and grinning again. "Well… Bianca's excited!" He raised his crossbow, and winked at her again, before following Solas and Cassandra down the steps. _

_Neriah watched them go, her mind reeling. What in the name of the Creators had she gotten herself into? She noticed that the mage, (Solas, was it?) had paused on his descent down the steps, and was glancing back at her. He had that same, knowing smirk on his face and, upon noticing her notice him, he nodded once, before continuing his descent. Neriah bristled. _

_She didn't know how much she and this elf were going to get along._

* * *

There was no sound. There was no color in all the world. The only color was him. He stood tall and green and proud and terrifying. All she could hear were the shallow breaths coming from her tightening lungs. With each inhale, it felt like her heart would shatter, taking her ribs, organs, and body with it. She felt dizzy, and wanted to just lie down on the stone floor and never move again.

This was it.

This was the nightmare she had seen. She had seen Solas, standing before the _Eluvian_, prepared to give all that he was, and all that he could be, to the Elven Gods. He had seemed so broken; filled with regret. She had been forced to watch him glow with life, only to have it ripped from him in front of her. Never again would she hear his voice calling to her, "_Vhenan_,". Never again would she be held under his affectionate yet mentoring gaze. Never again would she feel his arms around her, holding her so close to him; so protectively. Never again. Never again. Never again. Never again. Never again. Never again. Never again. Never again. Never again. Never again. Never again. Never again. Never again. Never again. Never again. Never again. Never again. Never again. Never again. Never again. Never again. Never –

"Inquisitor?"

Neriah was knocked from her loop of agony to find Morrigan standing before her, concern in her golden eyes. She placed her hands on Neriah's shoulders, and looked into her silver gaze. "Are you alright? You look as though you'd seen a demon."

A demon; a Fear Demon had come to her in the Fade and made her see Solas die. It had been a dream. But, then why was she here? Why was she being forced to see this, to relive it all again?

"Neriah?" Morrigan gently shook her shoulders, "Neriah?"

She regained her composure then, and willed herself to speak. "I can't go down there, Morrigan." Her voice was so small; she sounded so young. "I – I can't… I just can't." She looked Morrigan in the eye, willing herself to focus on something real in her slowly crumbling world. "I saw Solas die in the Fade, Morrigan. I saw it happen; I saw it happen _here_."

Morrigan's eyes widened, when there was a voice behind her. She turned, and Neriah looked passed her. Flemeth was walking up to them, her smirk still firmly etched in her features.

"Is something the matter, Inquisitor?" There was no warmth in her voice for Neriah, and she felt her eyes sting with anger and bitterness.

"Nothing," she managed to choke out. "Everything is fine." She pushed passed Morrigan, and walked over to Solas and Flemeth, her gaze never leaving the elven apostate's face. She knew he knew exactly where they were, and she hoped to all the Creators, to the Maker, to anyone out there, that he wouldn't do what she hoped she wouldn't do.

Solas said nothing, and didn't look at her. She felt a stab of anger, but tried to ignore it. Flemeth, evidently sensing the tension, said nothing, and returned to stand in the center of the large chamber with Solas. The beams of sunlight that filtered through the ruins fell upon her face and neck, as well as on Solas, and caused them both to almost glow in the warm light.

Flemeth turned to Solas, her stance calm, composed, and uncertain to Neriah. "Now that we are somewhere more _comfortable_, tell me, Dread Wolf, what has happened, that you felt you needed to return, and restore my soul?"

No one said anything for a moment, before Solas spoke quietly. "I… I am faced with a most difficult, and unlikely decision, _ma falon_." His voice was stronger than it had been before, but he still looked exhausted, both mentally and physically. "I have been faced with the choice, to either free the Elven Pantheon myself, or…" His voice trailed slightly, but he took a breath and spoke again. "… Or give my powers to you, and have you free them instead."

No one spoke; there was dead silence within the ruin. The only sound was the sound of the distant birds within the jungle far above (or below?) them, and the soft noise of rushing water somewhere in the distance. That was, until, Flemeth began to laugh.

It started low at first, before reaching a torrential gale. She threw back her head and laughed, her whole body shaking, and her voice ringing throughout the ruin. After a few more moments of this, she noticed Solas' face, and abruptly stopped.

"Oh, you were not joking, Fen'Harel?" She sounded surprised, and the look on her face nearly made Neriah snort. She had never seen the famed Witch of the Wilds looking so shocked. Behind her, she heard Morrigan titter lightly.

"Hardly," Solas replied stiffly, "I wish I was." His jaw clenched, and he began to pace. "I learned that, were I to free the Elven Pantheon, and restore The People, that the physical body which I now possess, the body of Solas, would be lost. Destroyed; absorbed; whatever word you choose, he would essentially perish in the freeing and restoration of the _Elvhenan_."

Neriah felt her heart twinge, and she looked down at her boots, refusing to make eye contact with anyone, lest her face betray her. She felt Morrigan shift next to her, and glanced at the witch. She was watching Flemeth and Solas intently, but when Neriah glanced at her, she gave her a small, somewhat reassuring smile.

Flemeth chuckled lightly, "Ah, so the man would die in the process; a heavy price, but not unnecessary, nor unexpected, Dread Wolf."

Solas looked away from her, his eyes traveling around the room, and came to rest on Neriah. Their gazes held for a moment, and she felt a wave of emotion run through her again. She saw the same feelings mirrored in Solas's eyes, and his opened his mouth as though to say something, but thought against it. Instead, he turned back to Flemeth.

"What else did this choice entail, pray tell?" Flemeth already sounded like she knew. "You have told me of the first part, and yet, I sense there is more?" She turned her gaze to Neriah now, and the elven woman nearly cringed under the golden glow. "Your eyes, or rather, the eyes of the man you possess, continue to travel to the Inquisitor, if I am not mistaken?"

Neriah felt a blush creep up her cheeks, and Solas cleared his throat before responding. "The other part of the decision is what involved you, Asha'belannar." He began, now looking anywhere but at Neriah, who was staring fixedly at her boots again, whilst grinding her teeth furiously.

Flemeth looked more pleased than Neriah was comfortable with. "Do tell, old friend. I am eager to hear it."

Solas's mouth curved in a small smirk at her tone for but a moment, before he replied. "I spoke with Elgar'nan, Asha'belannar, and he gave me a choice: either I sacrifice the physical body and being that is Solas, and restore the _Elvhenan_, or," he took a breath here, and his eyes turned to Neriah again. "Or I give my powers to you, a powerful being, though not an elf, and thusly allow Solas to spend the rest of his days as an ordinary man; to be able to be with the one he has come to care for, a great deal." He spoke the past part while looking directly at Neriah, never breaking eye contact. She felt her heart thudding in her breast, and part of her wanted to run to him and throw her arms around him, never letting go. The other part wanted to burst into tears like a child.

Flemeth said nothing for a moment, stroking her chin, and looking between the two elves. "So, Solas has retained his humanity, it would seem. Interesting. I knew that part of Solas still resided within you, but I did not know how strong it was." That unnerving, knowing smile was back again, and Neriah had to fight the urge to tell her to wipe it off her face.

"I never allowed him not to have his humanity, _ma falon_." Solas said stiffly, "as you have said yourself: to possess an unwilling host is a near impossible feat, if not dangerous. Had I taken all that he was from him, I fear I would not have been able to accomplish as much as I have."

Flemeth straightened, flexing her arms, and cracking her neck. "So, you are faced with quite the predicament it would seem, Dread Wolf. What a world where one has to decide between his people, and the woman he loves." There was an ironic, sarcastic tone to her voice, and Neriah bristled at it.

"Simply because you are bitter at the loss of your former love, does not mean Neriah and Solas are doomed, Mother," Morrigan hadn't spoken much until now, and they turned to look at her. She was glaring at Flemeth, who chuckled at her daughter.

"Ah, Morrigan. Never did I expect you to be one to defend love." Flemeth fixed her daughter with a smile that was both motherly, and slightly eerie. "You will indeed make a better mother than I ever was." Morrigan looked surprised at the comment, but also slightly flattered. Flemeth turned her attention back to Solas. "So, you would come to me to seek my advice on this matter?" Solas nodded, and Flemeth's smile grew.

"You are faced with a difficult choice, Dread Wolf. On one hand, you could be the one to free the Elven Pantheon, and restore the _Elvhenan_ to their former glory. The names of Fen'Harel, and Solas, would become those of elven legend; spoken of in the darkest corners of the Fade, and the farthest reaches of Thedas." Neriah saw Solas straighten at her words, and she felt the knot of worry in the pit of her stomach tighten. She could tell Solas very much liked the idea of going down in elven lore as the one who had freed their people, and restored them to their full potential. The knot within her tightened, as she knew there was little to nothing she could do to stop him if he truly wanted this.

"On the other hand," Flemeth spoke calmly, her eyes coming to rest on Neriah, "You could renounce your hold on Solas, and give yourself, Mythal, and Urthemiel to me, and I could carry out your will myself. By doing this, Solas would be able to live his life as he would see fit; no higher purpose, no destiny. Just him, and Neriah, forever. He could allow himself to indulge in all life has to offer, but have to live with the fact that it will not be his name that the _Elvhenan_ whisper at night. Instead, they will whisper "Asha'belannar", and I will be looked upon as a hero, a Goddess, to them."

Neriah could see Solas stiffen. She could tell he wasn't very fond of the idea that one, a human (no matter how powerful she was, Flemeth had once been human, not elven) would restore The People, and two, that his name would not be spoken in legend, but rather hers. He had dedicated so much of his life into attempting to preserve his people, and in turn, restore them.

However, he looked at her again, and could see the affection in his eyes for her. She felt her heart flutter, and she forced a small smile onto her face. Solas noticed, and returned it gently. She knew that, if he could have, he would stay with her, and they would live happily. But this wasn't as easy as she had hoped it would be, and it pained her greatly.

"It is a hard choice to make, my old friend," Flemeth actually sounded sympathetic now, and Neriah was surprised. "I understand why you came here."

Solas stood before her, and spread his hands, gazing imploringly at her. "Tell me what to do, Asha'belannar. I do not know the right choice." His voice broke, and his hands fell to his sides, leaving him looking defeated.

There was a moment of silence now, and Flemeth and Solas stood, watching one another. Neriah began to notice the small smile that began to form on her face, and felt her heart constrict.

"If you must ask me that, Dread Wolf, then I believe you already know the answer." That was all Flemeth said, Solas stared at her.

"I… I," he couldn't seem to find the right words.

"Solas!" Neriah called out before she could stop herself. The room went quiet, and they all turned to look at her. Solas looked surprised, even more so when she began to approach him. She stopped when she stood directly before him, and gently reached for his hands, which he gratefully gave her to hold.

"_Vhenan_," he said quietly, looking down at her. "_Ir abelas_."

She felt the tears begin to fall freely now. She knew what she had to do, and by the Creators it hurt more than when she had fallen over one hundred feet into a dark abyss after escaping Corypheus in Haven. "_Tel'abelas, emma lath_." Her breath hitched, and she saw Solas's brow crease, as agony filled his face.

"Neriah?" He whispered. She could feel Flemeth and Morrigan watching them, one with mild interest, and the other with sympathy.

"You must do what is right, Solas." Saying the words out loud made her want to scream. "You have dedicated so much of your life for this; do not throw it away now." His look of confusion made her press on quickly, before he could speak over her. "I have been so lucky to know you; to understand what it is you are, and what you are attempting to do." Her voice broke horribly, and Solas squeezed her hands, his face ashen. "I want you to know," she didn't know if she'd be able to get this part out without crying, "No matter what you choose, it will be the right choice." The tears fell like acid on her skin.

Solas stared down at her, looking incredibly broken. "_Vhenan_…" He began, but she shook her head.

"No," she whispered. "I know you will make the right choice, Solas. I believe in all that you've done, and all that you will do. You are strong, as is Fen'Harel, and you will make the _Elvhenan_ proud." She had to let him go, no matter how much it hurt, no matter how much she wanted to scream, cry and beg him not to, she knew she had to let go now. She took one final breath, looking up at him, remembering everything, from the first time they met, to the last time they wold ever see each other, to their first kiss, and when he had left the first time; and when he had come back. She drew him to her, resting his forehead against hers.

"I love you, Solas."

She heard him laugh softly, and felt a single tear hit her cheek, and she knew it was from him. She felt his breath on her skin, and knew that it would be the last time she would ever feel it again. Her stomach lurched, and she had to fight the urge to be sick from anxiousness.

"A rare and marvelous spirit…" He whispered against her skin, before drawing back to look at her tear stained face, his eyes glazed with his own inner turmoil. "My heart…" She let out a watery laugh, and rested her head on his chest for a moment, before pulling away from him. She had to physically force herself away, lest she cling to him forever. She made herself look at the ground, the walls, the ceiling, anywhere but at him. She had to let go now. She turned her back on him, as Flemeth began to speak.

"I am sorry, old friend, for all your pain. And to you, as well, Inquisitor." Neriah glanced sideways at Flemeth, and nodded once, keeping her gaze from Solas averted. Flemeth looked sympathetic, but there was still something in her eyes. She looked back at Solas. "Are you ready, old friend?" She extended her hands to him, and Solas, while still watching Neriah she was certain, and the back of her head was burning, moved forward to take Flemeth's hands in his.

"I am."

The words cut Neriah like a greatsword through her belly. She nearly doubled over in pain, and felt Morrigan come to her, gently touching her arm. She turned to face the witch, not wanting to turn around, not wanting to hear anything, or see anything, or feel anything, or even keep on –

"Take my souls from me, Asha'belannar."

Everything froze; time seemed to cease to move. The only movement was Neriah slowly blinking her eyes, and the dull exhale of her breath leaving her lungs. She felt her heart stop beating, as she slowly pulled back from Morrigan, and began to turn around. Her body moved as though encased in tar, sluggishly, and excruciatingly slow. She could feel her bones creak as she moved and, finally, she was facing them. She couldn't breathe. Solas was looking at her over his shoulder, his hands still wound with Flemeth's. He still looked so tired, but there was a renewed light in his eyes. Had she heard him correctly?

Flemeth laughed softly, "So, you have made your choice. It is as I suspected. Is this truly what you want, my friend?"

Solas kept his gaze on Neriah as he spoke. "I left once; I wanted to tell her everything, and instead, I ran. I regretted it every day. I searched for her in the Fade, and was met with only silence, night after night." Neriah continued to stare at him in disbelief, and a small smile played across his face. "I have done all I can for the _Elvhenan_, Asha'belannar." He looked back at Flemeth, "The rest is up to you now. I would live an ordinary life, as Solas, as a man, with her." He looked back at Neriah, "With only her. Never have I met someone who could turn my attention from the Fade, but she did. I…" He faltered, looking back at Flemeth again, his eyes sad, but determined. "I am aware of what I will be giving up by doing this, but I am willing. Elgar'nan has given me a choice that I never thought I would ever be allowed to have. Solas thought his entire purpose in life was to restore The People. But then he met her," Neriah felt her heart begin to thud against her ribcage. "She… Changed him; made him see the world in a different light; she made him understand that there is still innocence, and good within its depths. I never thought it was possible." He smiled slightly at Neriah, and she felt one tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I would sooner allow a "human" to restore the _Elvhenan_, than risk losing her again. She has displayed that, despite it all, she was willing to let Solas go; I could see it in her Spirit. To accept that kind of sacrifice…" He looked down at his hands, still in Flemeth's, "I would sooner renounce everything inside my being to stay with her."

Flemeth smiled down at Solas, her golden eyes knowing. "I expected as much, old friend." She squeezed his hands. "You know what will happen if you do this; The People will not know that Solas played a part in their freedom."

"Solas," Neriah whispered, not trusting her own voice.

Solas didn't pay her any attention. "I know. I am ready, _ma falon_." Flemeth nodded, and pressed her palms to Solas's. A glow began, but Neriah rushed forwards.

"Wait!" Her voice cut through the ruin like an arrow released from a bow. The two stopped, and looked at her. "Will he remember everything? Will Solas survive this? Or will he be petrified, like you were?"

Flemeth smiled at her, and for once the knowingness didn't bother her so much. "I only take the souls of Fen'Harel, Mythal, and Urthemiel, Inquisitor. Solas's soul will remain and he will live. As for his memory, it shall remain intact." Neriah nodded somewhat jerkily, and Flemeth nodded to her in return, before turning her attention back to Solas. "Are you ready, _ma falon_?" He nodded once, and she smiled.

A light began to grow between them as they stood, hands pressed together, on the center platform within the ruin. The same one Neriah had seen the _Eluvian_ on, only instead of watching Solas perish, she was watching him life. She felt her heart soar up into the heavens. Everything was going to be alright. There was a blast of light, and balls of energy erupted from Solas's body, slamming into Flemeth's. Neriah had to shield her eyes from the blinding light. When the glow had died, Flemeth stood tall and powerful before them.

Solas dropped like a stone, and Neriah's heart stopped.

"Solas!" She cried, rushing forward towards them. Flemeth stepped away from them to allow her space, as she fell to her knees beside him, and cradled his head in her lap. He wasn't moving. She stared up at Flemeth in horror. "Is he…? Please, tell me he's not…"

Flemeth shook her head, and Neriah felt such a wave of relief flood her she felt light headed. "He will awaken, in time. His body has gone through a rather momentous change, very quickly, Inquisitor." Neriah looked down at Solas. He looked so young and frail in her arms, and she noted how his chest rose and fell softly. She closed her eyes, leaned down, and pressed her lips to his forehead.

"I love you," she whispered, before looking back up at Flemeth. "What happens now?"

The Witch smiled that knowing smile. "I will do all I can to fulfill the will of the Elven Pantheon. All will be restored, in time, and the world will carry on as it is." Something in her smile made Neriah feel a little uneasy, but she pushed it aside. Solas was alive. He was _alive_. In that moment, that was all that mattered to her.

"Take him back to Skyhold now, Inquisitor," Flemeth said gently, resting at hand on Neriah's shoulder. "He will need time to rest, and when he awakens, tell him what has happened. No doubt he will remember, but do all you can to ease his mind, for Mythal, myself, and especially Fen'Harel. The Dread Wolf cares for the man, more than you realize." Neriah nodded once, still feeling dazed. Flemeth turned her attention to Morrigan, who had stood surprisingly silently throughout the whole scenario. "Morrigan, my daughter. Know that this will not be the last you will see of me."

"It never is," Morrigan said, rolling her eyes slightly, but Neriah could see she was smiling.

Flemeth chuckled, "I will return to you, in time, and bestow upon you the gift that was promised."

"And I have your word?" Morrigan asked, her tone skeptical.

Flemeth smirked at her daughter. "You have my word as a mother." She straightened herself, and brushed off her robes and armor. "Now, to something of greater importance. Morrigan, can you still use that useful little trick, where you become a dragon?" Morrigan looked surprised by the question, but nodded once. Flemeth looked pleased, "Most excellent. Please, do our lovely Inquisitor and the man she loves a favor, and transport them both back to Skyhold in that form. You will arrive in a much timelier manner, I would think."

Morrigan smiled the same knowing smile her mother had, "All a part of your plan, isn't it, Mother?" Flemeth said nothing, but her eyes smiled at her daughter. Morrigan turned to Neriah, "Come, Inquisitor, let us get Solas back home." Neriah nodded, and allowed Morrigan to help her lift Solas, so they both supported him, and began to move towards the exit of the hidden ruin. Just as they were about to leave, Flemeth called to Neriah.

"Oh, and Inquisitor?" Neriah turned back to see Flemeth smiling at her. "Do enjoy your life together." Then she was gone in a swirl of black and red. Neriah was left staring at the empty spot where she had been, seeing the sunlight shining on the stop where the _Eluvian_ had been in her nightmare. Now, there was nothing, as it should have been all along. For what felt like the first time in ages, she smiled a genuine smile.

"_Ma serannas, _Asha'belannar."

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**A/N: WOO HOO! There it is, everyone! All that be left is the epilogue. I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter – it was HELL to write. I kept pausing to think about how mean I wanted to be to my readers, and ended up settling on a happy ending for Neriah and Solas. Believe me, the temptation to make everything turn out sad was there. YOU'RE WELCOME.**

**R&amp;R, please, and get ready for the final installment! **


	18. Epilogue: Bellanaris

**A/N: Well, folks, here we are: the end of our tale. I am so thankful for everyone who Read &amp; Reviewed, and to all the wonderful people who I got to know while writing this! You are all just smashing. Much love. I'll do a more heartfelt thanks/what the future will hold for our heroes at the end. **

**The title of this chapter means "eternity" – very cute, eh? Enjoy!**

* * *

_Epilogue: _

_Bellanaris_

The wind whipped through Neriah's short, silver hair, as hard and as fast as rushing water. It stung her eyes, and she had to squint to make out where exactly they were. She had Solas sitting in front of her, her arm wrapped tightly around his waist to keep him, or herself, from falling off the back of the dragon – well, off of Morrigan.

As Neriah had exited the hidden elven ruin, Morrigan had told her to hold Solas, while she prepared herself for travel. The witch had then risen up, and her form had begun to morph, twist, and mutate. Wings had sprouted from her back, and her face had elongated, becoming a large, scaly snout. A tail had grown from her spine, and she had grown ten times her normal size, towering above the green, blue, and gold terrain of the Arbor Wilds. The dragon reared its head once, and a puff of smoke had come out of the mouth and nose. Neriah had stepped back, still apprehensive about this plan. She trusted Morrigan, but she had never been a big fan of dragons as a species. She had only killed four in her life, and each fight had been more perilous than the last.

After gathering herself together, and figuring out the best way to have Solas's unconscious body on the back of the dragon without him falling off, they had taken flight, and begun their journey back to Skyhold.

Now, here they were, soaring above the clouds and mountains, as Neriah watched the ground below go from green, to brown, and finally to white. She could feel the air cooling about her, and she tucked her head in a little more against Solas's back, her legs tightening around the body of the dragon to keep herself steady. Morrigan made a noise deep within her throat when Neriah tightened herself around the dragon, and she threw it an apologetic look. There really was nothing else she could do, lest she be thrown off and to her death below.

They were making excellent time. The sun was just beginning to tip towards the horizon when Neriah spotted Skyhold in the distance, looming above the mountains like a castle atop a hill. She didn't think she'd ever been happier to see the Inquisition's banners, mingled with those of the Dalish, blowing in the late day's wind. They were almost home.

Morrigan suddenly did a nose dive, and Neriah yelped, clinging to Solas for dear life as they plummeted. She realized at the last second that the dragon was aiming for the stone walk to Skyhold, just as its feet hit the ground, and Neriah was nearly thrown off and over the edge.

"Creators, Morrigan!" She chided her friend, "Remember you have two riders!" If dragons could roll their eyes… Neriah slipped off its back quickly, landing on the stone ground below, and gently reached up to ease Solas off as well. He seemed to be waking up a little, but he was still completely out of it; she would need to support him fully in order to get him inside, and up to her room.

Next to her, the dragon's scales, wings, claws, and teeth melted away, and Morrigan was revealed again. She peeled one last scale from her arm, much to Neriah's disgust, and tossed it away. She stretched her arms and legs, and twisted her head from side to side as she massaged her jaw.

"Well, that certainly was an adventure, was it not, Inquisitor?" She smirked at Neriah, who felt her own mouth tugging in a smile, and nodded once.

"Here, help me get Solas inside." She commanded, and Morrigan nodded, coming around to his other side, and taking an arm over her shoulders. They both looped their arms around his waist, and hauled him up to a relative standing position, and began to slowly bring him into Skyhold. Neriah knew, since it was the daytime and or evening, that the likelihood of running into one of their friends was pretty high, though she prayed they wouldn't. As they moved through the entrance to Skyhold, citizens began to notice them, and Neriah urged Morrigan to move faster. They hurried Solas up the stairs, and towards the last flight before they reached the Main Hall, when a voice called out to them, and Neriah flinched.

_Fenedhis_.

"Hey, Inquisitor! There you are!" They turned to see Varric and Dorian sauntering up to them, smiles plastered on their faces. "How was the – wait what the hell?" Varric's smile slid right off upon seeing Neriah struggling to continue to support Solas, who was slowly coming to, but who still very much needed to be helped.

Dorian moved forward, concern in his dark eyes. "Neriah, what happened? Is Solas alright?" He stepped forward again, closer to them, but Neriah held up her free hand.

"He's fine, don't worry. We just had a bit of an accident; nothing that can't be fixed with some good bed rest." She nodded to Morrigan, who returned it, and they turned and began to slowly ascend the stairs to the Main Hall. The mage and the dwarf hurried after them. Dorian was squawking about wanting to know what was going on, and Varric was calling after Neriah.

"Aren't you going to tell us what happened?" Varric yelled after Neriah when he realized they weren't going to turn around.

"Elfy stuff!" Neriah yelled over her shoulder, not turning around. She distinctly heard Dorian make a disgruntled yet amused noise.

"Well, that sums _that _up," she could hear the sarcasm and slight mischief in his tone. "Solas was clearly injured while he and Neriah were away." She didn't look back, but she knew he winked; she could practically _hear_ it.

"Think whatever you want!" She yelled back once more, before she and Morrigan entered into the Main Hall. The woman helped Neriah bring Solas across the hall, through the door, and up the stairs to her bedroom, where they lay him down on Neriah's bed, both gasping for breath from the added weight of the tall, elven man.

Morrigan straightened, and glanced at Neriah. "Will you manage from here?" She asked, and Neriah nodded.

"I think so. He looks like he's already starting to wake up a bit, so I'll just stay here with him until he does." Morrigan nodded, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"For what it is worth, Inquisitor, I am very glad that the two of you will be able to remain together." Neriah felt a burst of happiness within her, and she pulled Morrigan into as sudden hug. The witch let out a startled yelp, but did not push the elf away. Neriah squeezed her once, before releasing her.

"Thank you for all you've done to help us, Morrigan." She looked up at her friend, a wide smile on her face. "I will be in your debt."

Morrigan looked surprised, and shook her head. "No need, Inquisitor. I did what is my duty as Liaison to the Inquisition, I would think, and," she paused, and looked mildly uncomfortable. She looked down at her boots for a moment, before looking back up at Neriah. "And as your friend, Neriah." Neriah knew that Morrigan didn't express any weren't sarcasm, anger, or pride, easily, which was why she greatly appreciated her saying that.

Neriah smiled again at her friend, and touched her arm. "And I thank you, Lady Morrigan, as your friend." Morrigan looked a little relieved, nodded once, and made for the door. As she was about to leave, she turned back briefly.

"When he does awaken, Inquisitor, thank him for me." Neriah smiled down the stairs at her, and nodded. Morrigan smiled, back, and exited Neriah's chambers, closing the door behind her.

Neriah turned back to look at Solas. He remained still, though breathing, on her bed. She watched his chest rise and fall slowly, and felt a sense of relief fill her. She smiled slightly, and walked to her desk, where a mound of paperwork had mysteriously appeared in the last three days. No doubt Cullen or Josephine's doing, as revenge for her constant disappearing when Solas had returned. She pulled out her chair, and sat down, beginning to rifle through them. She settled on a stack regarding some Red Lyrium operations from weeks before that still needed her signature on them, and got to work.

* * *

Neriah's head snapped up. She had been working for hours, and had finished a large chunk of the paperwork on her desk. The sun was just beginning to set, and the golden and red glow was filling her room. Dark shadows played across the walls and floor, and the glow of the fireplace, coupled with the setting sun, made everything a bright, somewhat cheery, orange. But it wasn't the glow, or the sunset, or the shadows, that caused her to look up.

It was Solas.

He groaned once, and she saw his eyes open, and he slowly began to look around, his head turning sluggishly from side to side. Eventually, his eyes fell on her, as she sat as still as a statue at her desk. She saw a small smile form on his face upon seeing her there.

"_Vhenan_," he said softly.

That was all she needed to hear. She leapt from her desk, rushed across the room, and threw herself onto the bed, wrapping her arms around him, and burying her face in his shirt and neck.

"Solas!" She cried happily, tears streaming down her face without her consent, but she didn't care. She clung to him, and felt him slowly wrap his arms around her, pulling her close against him. "Solas, you're alright!" She looked up at him, beaming from pointed ear to pointed ear.

He looked down at her, smiling. He still looked tired, but there was a new light in his stormy eyes, one that Neriah had not seen before. She buried her face in the nape of his neck again, and he chuckled softly into her hair. She pulled back again to look up at him, her silver eyes studying his features.

"How do you feel?" She asked, gently pulling back to give him some room to breathe.

He took a moment before replying, his face thoughtful. She had always loved the way his eyebrows knitted together when he was thinking about something; how he set his jaw firmly in place, and how his eyes darkened.

"I feel…" He began slowly, trying to find the right word. "Lighter." Neriah felt another smile play across her face, and Solas reacted in kind. "It feels as though an immense weight has been lifted from my soul; as though I can breathe again." He looked her in the eyes now, and for the first time in what seemed like an age, a huge smile formed on his face. "_Ir tel'him_," he whispered. I am me again.

Neriah felt a wave of happiness hit her like a sledgehammer, and she leaned up to kiss him hard on the mouth, and he reacted generously, holding her close to him. It was not a kiss of lust, or passion, but a kiss of pure, blissful love, and that was it. It didn't become anything more, they simply lay there in one another's arms, lips pressed together, feeling each other's' skin as it touched.

When Neriah pulled back to breathe, she looked up at him, her silver eyes filled with love, but also confusion and worry. "What happens now? Are you sure you're alright with giving up everything to Flemeth?"

Solas looked down at her, his smile still fixed on his face. "I am." He gently kissed her forehead, before looking down at her again. "I would rather spend a lifetime with you, Neriah, than face all the ages of the Fade alone."

Neriah resisted the urge to burst into happy tears. "I love you, Solas." She whispered, and resting her head on his chest again. She could hear his heartbeat beneath his shirt, and she knew it was only his; only ever his. He was alive, and she had never been happier than she was right then, in that moment.

She felt him laugh softly, his chest rumbling beneath her face. "I love you too, Neriah." He shifted slightly, and she looked up at him. "What did you tell our friends? No doubt they saw you bringing me up here."

"I just told them it was "elfy" stuff." She winked at him, and his look of nervousness and confusion made her giggle.

He bristled at that, "_Fenedhis_; I can only image the stories they will tell." He shook his head in exasperation, but also in amusement, and Neriah giggled again.

"Let them talk; they can come up with whatever they want. I don't care – all I care about is that you're alright, and _alive_, and here with me." She kissed his cheek, before gently disentangling herself from his body, and rolling off the bed. She stood, and stretched. She walked to her balcony, her eyes traveling over the mountains, and over the sunset. She felt a small smile play across her lips, feeling the cool mountain air brush along her skin. Behind her, she heard Solas slowly get up, and come walking over to her. She felt his arms encircle her waist, and hold her tightly against him, his lips in her hair. Her smile grew. She was reminded of the day that they had killed Corypheus, and she had stood, at a similar time, on her balcony, watching the sun set behind the Frostback Mountains. At that time, she had been alone. But that was a lifetime ago.

She didn't know what was to come now, for the Inquisition, for her, for anyone. She had no idea if when Flemeth released the Elven Pantheon, and restored the _Elvhenan_, whether there would be peace, or war. She didn't know if Thedas would be able to survive in a world filled with only harmony, but in that moment, she did not care. For the first time in so long, in many months, Neriah wasn't worried about an unknown future. She knew there would be trials, and she knew there would be difficult decisions and changes to be made. But she also knew that, no matter what happened, she and Solas would face this new day, and this new life, together.

And she would not have it any other way.

* * *

**A/N: Well, that's it. The story of Neriah and Solas has ended. I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it! It's been a crazy three weeks, but I'm glad I finished it. This is the second story with multiple chapters that I have ever finished, and I am proud. A big "**_**ma serannas**_**" again to all my lovely Reviewers, and supporters of this story! You all made it all worthwhile! **

**As for what the future holds for Neriah and Solas, I was thinking of doing a series of One-Shots, chronicling their relationship both before, during, and after the events of "Ma Vhenan, Ma Abelas". Possibly to be set also before, during, and after "Dragon Age: Inquisition". I thought doing One-Shots would be easier on me, as I am now entering into my Finals Period in University (the last stretch before graduation!) As well as my boyfriend, whom I have not seen in four months, is coming back from his schooling for the summer and, obviously, I will be busy. I'd appreciate any and all feedback in regards to if I **_**should**_** start a series of One-Shots (though I probably will anyway).**

**Anyway, that's it. Thanks for reading, supporting, reviewing, following, and favouriting! You guys are the best. **_**Dareth shiral**_**.**


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